The year we put our real lives on social media

One year in, Covid-19 has altered everything, including how we use social media. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [View on the web]( [Recode]( [Click to view images]( [Posting less, posting more, and tired of it all]( As the pandemic continues, almost everyone’s social media feed looks a little different than it did a year ago. Gone are the pictures of group hugs at weddings and grinning portraits from vacations abroad. Instead, there are memes about spending our days looking at various-size screens and researching how to find a vaccine. Some people are posting less. Others are posting more. Either way, it’s safe to say that social media is helping us stay connected in its own way. “The ability to connect via so many different platforms not only helps alleviate feelings of isolation but increases the sense of psychological comfort,” said Pamela Rutledge, director of the Media Psychology Research Center. “It makes people feel less lonely and less fearful to know they aren’t dealing with this alone.” Recode’s Rani Molla recently spoke with dozens of regular people and experts about how our social media usage has evolved since the start of the pandemic. Not only has it changed, it may never be the same again. [Click to view images]( [Biden backs Amazon workers’ push to unionize in Alabama]( The president expresses support for thousands of workers at an Amazon warehouse in Alabama who are voting in a union election. [ Ken Thomas / [Wall Street Journal]( ] [Click to view images]( [Seniors seeking vaccines have a problem: They can’t use the internet]( Older adults living alone often lack access to or an understanding of technology, and many are unsure how to sign up for an appointment. [ Kellen Browning / [New York Times]( ] [Click to view images]( [Tech tips to help score a Covid-19 vaccine appointment at CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, and more]( Setting up alerts and browser tools helped our columnist schedule time slots for eligible friends and family members in a variety of states. [ Joanna Stern / [Wall Street Journal]( ] [Click to view images]( [The far-right platform Gab has been hacked — including private data]( The transparency group DDoSecrets says it will make the 70 GB of passwords, private posts, and more available to researchers, journalists, and social scientists. [ Andy Greenberg / [Wired]( ] [Click to view images]( [Instagram’s new Live Rooms feature lets up to four people go live at once]( Previously, you could only go live with one other person. [ Ashley Carman / [The Verge]( ] [This is Cool Section Title] [What Julius Caesar may have looked like in real life]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Facebook]( Twitter [Instagram]( [Recode by Vox]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences](, or [unsubscribe]( to stop receiving emails from Vox Media. View our [Privacy Notice]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved.