Forced to stay home by COVID-19, teens’ creative juices have been flowing. They have overrun the social media app Instagram with challenges to help spread positivity.
Instagram allows people to share pictures and express themselves while gaining followers, comments and likes. Users are using the app to spread good vibes and pay homage to their hobbies.
There are challenges for people of all interests. From athletes to music lovers, people are sharing content in hopes to feel closer. The “See a Drop, Send a Drop” challenge allows Electric Dance Music, EDM, fans to share their favorite moments from festivals with other fans.
“Festival season was something I was really looking forward to,” said EDM lover Peyton Brusseau. “Not just the music, but also seeing friends that I’ve made from across the country that I only get to see once or twice a year at events.”
Alexis Farr said, “I saw some people post concert videos or them doing homework and my friends and I are really into memes, so we decided to start posting memes. I think it’s a fun way to post cute or funny pictures and kind of helps everyone understand they are not alone.”
The various challenges are also allowing spring athletes to relive past seasons. Challenges like the “Walk-Up Song” and “Game-Day Face” are connecting athletes to their game-day rituals.
The “Walk-Up song” challenge allows baseball and softball players to share the song they would walk up to home plate to, and then tag other players to participate. With no spring sports this year, they’re left to imagine it.
“Baseball is like my job but also something I love,” said Saginaw Valley State baseball player Colin Cornwell. “When it’s taken away from you it’s a pretty tough pill to swallow.”
Soccer players also look back at game-day pictures and participate in the “Game-Day Face” challenge. The players post an action shot of themselves playing and tag others they want to join in.
“I think the point of the challenge is to gather athletes up and show positivity throughout our communities,” said Nationals soccer play Mia Suratt. “As an athlete, having other athletes tag you giving you recognition of being a competitive player puts a sense of pride in you.”
As the days in self-isolation grow longer, the number of challenges grows with it. The fight to spread positivity and a feeling of unity is on the front of people’s minds.
“The Instagram challenges are a nice way of making us feel connected while we’re stuck at home.” said Brusseau.