The pandemic has left most of us working from home, taking online classes, and trying to figure out how to make being at home fun. But it’s only a matter of time when we start to crave human interaction. Social distancing makes it hard to keep up with friends and family.  We can only interact over the phone, through messenger apps, or video calls.  Who else has run out of social media games to play?

Actress Tia Mowry-Hardrict attempted to convey the struggles of maintaining relationships during this time with a now-deleted tweet: “During this pandemic, you really see who your real friends are. Who’s checking up on you? Making sure are okay? Remember that when all this over?”

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9HYCM3l5cv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

As we continue to isolate ourselves to prevent the spread of COVID-19, unfortunately, the well-intended tweet was not received very well by fans and those that came across the tweet. There was quite a bit of backlash and criticism as most perceived the tweet to be insensitive towards the circumstances of others.

On the other hand, it sparked a debate about whether “real” friends would reach out and check on you as we continue to stay home and stay safe.

Should a pandemic and whether or not you hear from a friend be used a standard to determine who our “real” friends are? Friendships shouldn’t come to an end over how often you hear from each other.

A “real” friend understands you have your own issues and circumstances, and that you may not be able to reach out like you want to. A “real” friend wishes the best for you whether they hear from you or not. Reaching out is also a two-way street, so check up on each other when you can. A pandemic is not the time to test our friends’ abilities to call, message, or video chat. Instead, it should be a time to keep the people we love close and be there for each other, even if we physically can’t.