Austin Mardon

Virtual Masks and Artificial Hand Sanitizers Austin Mardon

COVID-19 has created a truly unprecedented world in which digital technology has been thrust to the forefront of everyone's lives. As in-person conversations become fewer and online conversations grow day by day, people begin to wonder: is it possible to create and maintain real, meaningful connections through digital technology? Virtual Masks and Artificial Hand Sanitizers: Digital Connection in a Time of COVID-19 tackles this question through three sections of study: methods of communication throughout historical crises, the benefits and detriments of some of the most popular digital media available to us today, and through a dive into communication theories relating to digital media and technology. Through in-depth discussion and fascinating case studies, readers will begin to understand some of the complex issues shaping our connections with the people around us, and the ways in which those connections are impacted by the digital technology that has become a quintessential part of our daily lives.