It’s a special thing with COVID 19. The lockdown. And Social Distancing. So there are different opinions regarding the effectiveness of the regulations, which we do not want to discuss at this point. There are also people who can handle it better in terms of a high acceptance of the regulations.
Just as there are also people who suffer a lot from it and who are particularly affected by social distancing. Couples with children, older people and people from other risk groups are particularly affected. But also singles who feel especially lonely under these circumstances.
Social distancing is temporary. Love is permanent! >>>by stee-strong
The individual as a social being
When we come into this world, we cannot survive without contact with other people. To connect with other people is still one of the central qualities that define us as human beings. It is not for nothing that friendships in childhood and adolescence, and later in adulthood, also relationships are so important. On the contrary, it can be said in simple terms that social isolation can have serious consequences in terms of physical and mental health.
The need for love
Feeling secure, belonging and human closeness are natural basic human needs. Physical contact, tenderness and sexuality are also part of being human and are a need for everyone. In a relationship, many people seek not only physical closeness but also a feeling of security, appreciation and protection. Not wanting to be lonely is a feeling that is even stronger for many in times of crisis such as the current corona situation. And which is difficult or impossible to be positive about due to the rules of social distancing. Especially for people living alone. Keeping distance on the physical level – for some people this also leads to a feeling of being internally separated on the emotional level. Not to mention the completely human need for sex. Of course, people can do without it for a while. And still: The longing for interpersonal interaction is to be taken seriously.
We are close at heart
You only have to go to the supermarket to hear in a kind of continuous rotation that we should adhere to all corona containment measures and should still not forget that we are close to each other at heart. But what does that mean – close at heart? Of course, we humans also feel connected when we do not see each other for a few days or weeks. But what happens when it becomes months?! When the longing for being close remains unfulfilled over a long period of time? When outer retraction results in inner retraction?! When social distancing hits the mind?! And how can we satisfy our need for physical closeness without acting contrary to the contact restrictions?
Intercourse outside of the partnership as a source of risk
It is easy to understand that sex increases the risk of infection. Even if one-night-stands and changing sexual contacts in private cannot be officially forbidden as for example the closing of brothels was ordered, these should be avoided in the context of a responsible handling with the danger of infection. It is safe to fall back on forms of sex in which people do not touch each other, such as telephone sex or online sex. Although this does not replace real physical contact, it can help people who are not in a committed partnership, to overcome the period of the contact block.
We ourselves are our safest sexual partner
Thus Corona is especially hard for singles. Masturbation is very important in times of social distancing, if necessary also with the use of sex toys, which of course should be cleaned and disinfected just like the hands. In addition to sex toys, pornography can further fuel the desire for physical self-love and help us achieve sexual satisfaction without having real contact with a person.
Dating apps in times of social distancing
It can be assumed that Tinder and Co. will experience a steady growth in times of contact restrictions. Even if this seems like a contradiction in terms, because a dating portal is supposed to be a place where people get to know each other, for many people chatting with like-minded people is at least temporarily an adequate substitute for real dates. This applies both to interpersonal exchanges and sexual adventures fueled by sexting, i.e. the sending of explicit messages, leading to either solo sex or even solo sex in which the writers watch each other via video chat.
Risks of social distancing
In order to keep the spread of the virus as low as possible, compliance with the restrictions is unavoidable. Personal states of mind must take a back seat to this. Nevertheless, we do not want to miss the opportunity to point out the dangers and risks of social distancing. Creative solutions via online chats and sex via video chat can help to satisfy the need for sexual satisfaction, at least for a while. The same applies to interpersonal communication in the form of zoom calls and online calling in general. This allows contact restrictions to be overcome for a while.
Photo by Daniel Tafjord on Unsplash