Communication and COVID-19

first_thoughts

This quarantine has made me reflect a lot on my relationships with people and keeping in contact. I'm a very social person, and I find comfort being around others, especially my friends. During this quarantine I had to return home where I'm not necessarily 100% comfortable at all times. This has made working on university projects hard, and there's been a general lack of creativity.

In addition, I'm also an exchange student. So I had to leave the life I was starting to build in Rotterdam to come back home. During the collection of our data points for our data base, all I could think about was all the plans that my friends and I had that have been drastically altered because of the pandemic.

sara. biatchinyi

P2.Data_Design

my data set:

my_ideas

I want to focus on the role of communication during and after the qurantine periods of COVID-19. I've spent a lot of time talking, chatting, and calling to my friends because it is a part of my day that makes me feel like I can even get out of bed. So for this algorithm, I wanted, to focus on all of the Whatsapp messages that have been sent between people during the pandemic.

For the algorithm, I thought it would be interesting to focus on the tone of voice or energy that the Whatsapp messages emit. Some sound excited, some sad, some frustrated. I thought that by using an algorithm, I could create a platform that combines 5 random Whatsapp messages together in order to create a "Whatsapp Poem", or "WhatsapPoem". I thought this combination would be interesting because we are all going through similar emotions everyday, and although we don't all know each other personally, our messages could make sense together.

These screenshots are all of the conversations and calls I've had with my friends. Some calls were very nostalgic and heartfelt, others were to just keep each other company, and some were for us to cry together.

While being on these calls, we talked a lot about the people we've been keeping in contact with, or who we've reached out to or vice versa. It's been an interesting couple of months as we have been reconnected to people that we haven't spoken to in a very long time.

This made me reflect even more on communication during coronavirus, and what our relationship will be with communication after quarantine will be. Will we become more dependant on emotional connections?
Through the algorithm, I want to create I want to investigate this relationship between people and the value of communication we have.

inspiration

links_&_sources:
https://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/will-our-social-life-be-same-after-coronavirus
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200408-coronavirus-how-lockdown-helps-those-who-fear-the-phone
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/v7g4v8/how-to-manage-time-for-chores-and-work-while-stuck-at-home?utm_campaign=later-linkinbio-vice&utm_content=later-6965337&utm_medium=social&utm_source=instagram
https://theconversation.com/what-will-the-world-be-like-after-coronavirus-four-possible-futures-134085
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/world/americas/coronavirus-social-impact.html

The idea for my algorithm is to follow a similar system to the algorithm on the right. When the button is pressed, it will generate 5 random WhatsApp messages which will create a "WhatsapPoem". Using this as an outline for my algorithm, I need to narrow down the data I am using in order to have the poems come out in a systematic and logical way.

algorithmic_poetry

Throughout this project, I would like to focus on our means of communication and how it has changed during this quarantine, but also how our relationship will be with communication in a post-corona society. Whatsapp for me has been a safety blanket, knowing that I can be so well connected to my friends. On the same note, I've spent so much time on my phone it also has affected my productivity and motivation. In a post-corona society, will we be affected by this? Will our routines change? Will we be more social or will we find more comfort in calls and messages?

08/04/2020
08/04/2020
16/04/2020
17/04/2020
17/04/2020
17/04/2020
18/04/2020
19/04/2020
18/04/2020
17/04/2020
21/04/2020
21/04/2020
21/04/2020
21/04/2020
23/04/2020
23/04/2020
23/04/2020
18/04/2020
11/04/2020
23/04/2020
16/04/2020
24/03/2020
12/04/2020
12/04/2020
23/04/2020
21/04/2020
14/04/2020
19/03/2020
14/03/2020
07/04/2020
17/04/2020
20/04/2020
21/04/2020
06/04/2020
06/04/2020
17/04/2020
17/04/2020
20/04/2020
04/04/2020
16/04/2020
15/04/2020
15/04/2020
25/03/2020
22/03/2020
15/04/2020
28/03/2020
06/04/2020
09/04/2020
09/03/2020
28/03/2020

15:37
14:45
22:06
15:58
14:05
16:28
2:09
19:35
19:20
19:36
20:14
20:15
10:01
10:10
18:10
14:18
7:25
10:46
10:02
20:52
20:32
2:24
16:48
16:33
11:31
11:26
1:19
23:03
2:04
21:03
12:58
11:02
12:32
10:29
10:30
20:38
17:32
17:21
21:22
9:54
15:03
13:23
11:30
1:57
20:42
23:01
21:27
15:18
12:14
1:41

Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp
Whatsapp

Taylor
Jimin
Miriam
Shinade
Loe
Me
Julia
Maite
Maite
Shinade
Shinade
Julia
Alice
Dad
Me
Julia
Dad
Dad
Me
Me
Me
Julia's Mom
Me
Grandma
Me
Loe
Me
Rafa
Maite
Sophie
Zio Paolo
Zio Paolo
Zio Paolo
Chloe
Me
Maite
Maite
Me
Maite
Me
Yowane
Yowane
Julia
Julia
Preeti
Preeti
Azzurra
Taylor
Zia Rita
Me

Me
Me
Me
Me
Me
Aika
groupchat
Me
Me
Me
groupchat
groupchat
Me
groupchat
Julia
Me
groupchat
groupchat
groupchat
groupchat
Mariam
Me
Grandma
Me
Loe
Me
Loe
groupchat
groupchat
groupchat
Me
Me
Me
Me
Chloe
Me
Me
groupchat
groupchat
Yowane
Me
Me
groupchat
groupchat
Me
Me
Me
Me
Me
groupchat

I’m sorry that I didn’t stick to our plans this week - I’ve been so tired, not too sure why.
I’m trying to hype myself up for work rn
ne usciremo prima o poi
bro I feel like shit
That is so weird! And sad
i made a zoom call do u wanna join?
sorry I needed a lil throwback🥺
when was may, may comes next, don't confuse me
I come back to it periodically, when theres big change. I find the book tragic but very comforting and grounding
but idk i feel like at some point he will get tired of the idea of me staying here
so summer has been cancelled
💔 festival szn 💔
te cosa pensi di fare?
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/20/well/live/help-my-mask-fogs-my-glasses.html
I miss you sending poems you’d draft here and there
can I call you for a minute or two?
https://www.lettoquotidiano.it/pizza-napoletana-fatta-in-casa-i-segreti-del-pizzaiolo-napoletano-per-renderla-perfetta/52805/
Frenci non ti lamentare
Oggi mi arriva un pacco Amazon!
Like in the nicest part of my heart I am telling you that color looks awful
Poi onestamente credo che entro un mese non so se ci fanno poi uscire come dicono
Cómo estás tú y tu familia? Todo bien espero 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
Un abbraccio!! Ci mancate!!
Foto del nonno in balcone : così non lo dimentichi. ..dice lui, un abbraccio virtuale a tutti!
hey, saturday can we have a FaceTime date?
rn is not the greatest time to find a first postgrad job lol
I’ll put that on my to order list
alguien tiene info si se puede entrar by Saturday al pais?
Los quiero mucho locos, cada quien donde este o donde vaya cuidense mucho y cuiden a los demas.
My internet is shit
J’attends le résultat du dernier test
Ils ont dit quoi à l’Univ pour les next exams?
Call me back when you can please
So we now have a qr code to leave the house😂
I love being reduced to just a QR code <3
I want to wake up, get all dolled up, walk to a cafe and have some coffee chill walk to a park
I had a dance party by myself yesterday
I passed 🥺🥺🥺
Me dio amor por ustedes y me hacen mucha falta
je suis deja a paris :(
ah le confinement et ses retombés
En vrai depuis le début du confinement j'ai des insomnies
nothing like an impulsive decision that turns out well
make this group chat stay ALIVE OK
anche se non ne posso più di questa quarantena
possiamo sentirci per telefono domani
Guarda ho cambiato idea in realtà😂
Hello - I think we might need to change plans a little today.
Ciao Sara❤ che super regalo mi hai fatto con questi flashback
Even tinder says no irl meet ups🥺

notes_from_class

Algorithmic poetry is a genre of generated poetry that has become more popular and experimented with in the past couple of years. What is interesting in algorithmic poetry is that it is computer-generated, so the algorithm provided needs to give an emotional aspect of the poem (which computers don't naturally have). Therefore, the input has to be specific enough that the output translates into a poem that is sensical.

This is an important observation for my algorithm! I want to use the whatsapp channel in the database, but I need to formulate it in a way that the output doesn't create random sentences that do not evoke any emotion.

Ways I can break down my input:
- use whatsapp channel in database
- categorize whatsapp messages depending on mood
- find key words which evoke a certain feeling
- distinguish between functional and sensitive messages

What I learned from my research so far in order to further my algorithm is:
1. How do I make my algorithm computer generated, but with a human emotional touch?
2. How will the output work?
3. How will the data be divided in order to give a specific output?

developing_the_algorithm

This is my first attempt at coding the algorithm for the WhatsapPoem. I decided to try coding it, in order to understand exactly how I wanted my algorithm to come across. In this instance, it's too vague and isn't 100% functioning (I'm still trying to self-teach Javascript). Nonetheless, it helped visualize the beginnings of this algorithm.

understanding the data:
An important step is understanding which data I want in the input of this algorithm.
I want to focus on Channel -> Whatsapp -> Data Text
Data text must be divided between FUNCTIONAL (non-emotional messages) and SENSITIVE (emotional messages).
Algorithm must select: SENSITIVE data text.

= FUNCTIONAL

= SENSITIVE

= links/not english

The data I'm interested in is everything highlighted in pink. Through my algorithm, the computer should understand that everything that falls in the SENSITIVE category is needed for the poem generator.

Once the data has been narrowed down to only the SENSITIVE category, it needs to distinguish what content can be used: maximum 140 characters, emojis allowed, no personal names (in order to keep a feeling of community)
In simple terms: ANYTHING OVER 140 CHARACTERS CANNOT BE USED and NO EXPLICIT NAMES MENTIONED.

Now that data has been narrowed down to the texts that can be used in the poem generator, each item must divided depending on their mood: POSITIVE, NEGATIVE, and NEUTRAL.
POSITIVE: anything that feels hopeful, happy, prosperous, humorous etc.
NEGATIVE: angry, frustrated, sad, overwhelmed etc.
NEUTRAL: anything that has no direct emotion: a question, simple thought etc.

This is now the "final" database that will be eligible to enter the random generator in order to create the poem. The person using this generator can decide whether they want their poem to be POSITIVE, NEUTRAL, NEGATIVE, MIXED (they can select up to 3 options at once).

the_algorithm

1. CREATE TEMPORARY STORAGE
2. FOR EACH ROW (REPEAT):
a. SELECT ROWS WITH KEYWORD "WHATSAPP" IN CHANNEL COLUMN
b. ORGANIZE DATA IN TEXT COLUMN BETWEEN FUNCTIONAL, SENSITIVE, & LINKS/NOT ENGLISH
i. FUNCTIONAL: TEXT THAT STATES FACTS, DOES NOT OMIT ANY EMOTIVE WORDS OR FEELINGS
ii. SENSITIVE: TEXT THAT OMITS ANY EMOTIVE WORDS OR FEELINGS
iii. LINKS/NOT-ENGLISH
3. SELECT ONLY ROWS WITH SENSITIVE TEXT; ORGANIZE INTO:
a. TEXT MUST CONTAIN MAXIMUM 140 CHARACTERS
b. ALLOW EMOTICONS
c. NO NAMES (BRAND OR PERSON)
4. DIVIDE TEXT INTO POSITIVE, NEUTRAL, AND NEGATIVE
a. POSITIVE: HOPEFUL, HUMOROUS, EXCITED, HAPPY etc.
b. NEUTRAL: SIMPLE QUESTIONS OR STATEMENTS
c. NEGATIVE: SAD, OVERWHELMED, FRUSTRATED etc.
5. RANDOMLY SELECT 4 LINES OF TEXT
a. USER CAN SELECT WHAT "MOOD" THEY WOULD LIKE
i. NEGATIVE; POSITIVE; NEUTRAL; OR A COMBINATION OF ANY 2, OR ALL 3

examples_of_outcome

a_post_corona_society

So in what context can this algorithm be applied in a post corona society?

My point of interest lies in how we communicate and the role of communication and its developments during this pandemic.

Digital communication through mediums such as whatsapp, instagram, twitter etc. have become more and more prevalent as we continued into the 2010s. Now being in 2020, a lot can happen in direct messages: job possibilities, connections, new encounters etc.

While before COVID-19 we used these platforms for communicating with those far away (for example family in another country), we also used these platforms to make plans, and share information about our immediate situation.

As quarantine started, our reliance on these platforms has increased dramatically. Humans are social beings, so the concept of isolation caused a lot of fear, uncertainty, and the dawning idea of loneliness amongst a lot of people. Communication has increased, we are now constantly on our phones making sure we know what is happening in the news, but also to make sure we're in touch with those who matter to us. Whether i is news about a new recipe, a funny video, a book, a hobby, and this point in our society the importance of sharing this information with others is to make us feel connected.

As time goes on, this whatsapp poem generator can become a true reflection of what our society is thinking. For example, as shown in previous examples, a lot of the poems sound nostalgic and sad (even the one that falls in the positive category). Imagine the difference in tone of voice once phase 2 starts in Italy? Or when bars start to open again? Our society will be sharing and reflecting on these positive moments more and more as our habit of sharing will already be more prevalent.

It would be interesting to see the difference in messages between March, June, and August for example. What poems could come out of it?

Another factor that I found very important in this algorithm is the concept of society and "togetherness". This algorithm provides a sense of comfort, in knowing that strangers, through their independent conversations, are feeling what you are feeling, and the mood that these poems transmit can be something of comfort and familiarity. In these times, this is also something that many people are reaching out to.

sources:
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/online-dating-amid-coronavirus-longer-chats-and-fewer-new-prospects-match-says-2020-03-31
https://theconversation.com/video-chats-can-ease-social-isolation-for-older-adults-during-coronavirus-pandemic-135890
https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-52222986
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200408-coronavirus-how-lockdown-helps-those-who-fear-the-phone