Journal Title: Wide Screen
Vol. 9, No.1, July 2022
ISSN: 1757-3920
URL: http://widescreenjournal.org

The creation, circulation and consumption of media became a focus of social and cultural discourse around the fundamental changes the entire world experienced as a result of the quarantine imposed by COVID-19. One reason is that it was media and the arts that helped fill in the emptiness of staying at home during quarantine—be it film, TV or music on streaming services, TikToks, videogames or offline media like jigsaw puzzles that saw a surprising increase in sales. Second, as the world adapted to “work from home,” it quickly became apparent that a fundamental shift was coming into place wherein the boundaries between home and work blurred more than it ever had before. Zoom surprised everyone by overshadowing Skype as the go-to for virtual meetings, classes, conferences etc. Zoom also pervaded the social sphere wherein people “met” with friends and families online as the best alternative to staying in touch while also staying in quarantine. Zoom’s ability to span across the social and the professional is central not just to the shifting boundaries between work/school and home, or work and play, but by extension, in redefining these spaces and the protocols attached to them. This dossier presents a look at some transformations that occurred in the media landscape.