On Aug. 8, TikTok stars Bryce Hall and Blake Gray blatantly violated COVID-19 health mandates to host a bash in their sprawling Hollywood Hills mansion that they pompously dubbed the “Sway House.” Hundreds of people without masks flocked to their doorstep desperate to get a taste of their invaluable clout. After all, who knows how many followers someone could gain just by being in the background of Bryce doing the Renegade dance? Despite warnings from officials, the boys were not deterred, and on Aug. 14, they created another opportunity for groupies to feed their ego by throwing a birthday celebration for Hall, strippers obviously included. Now, the city of Los Angeles decided to put the kibosh on this reckless behaviour and rightfully filed criminal charges. If convicted, Hall and Gray could face up to a year in jail and a fine of $2,000.
This incident marks one of many, with self-proclaimed influencers like Tana Mongeau, James Charles, Nikita Dragun and more pandemic partying, most with no consequences — or so they think. In addition to their immediate contribution to the spread, these influencers set a dangerous precedent for their massive followings, consisting mostly of the young and impressionable, fueling the casual approach to social distancing and coronavirus guidelines that most certainly inflates case numbers.
“If the pandemic has not influenced your daily habits at all, you’re doing something wrong”
Irresponsible behavior is not limited to influencers viewed from a screen; it can be found right here at home. Far too many people exercise without masks, wear their masks under their nose or congregate in large groups without social distancing. The array of obviously thoughtless actions go on and on. As people become numb to the severity of the pandemic or grow tired of having to follow guidelines, measuring the implications of one’s own momentary actions seems like a monumental task, but self-awareness is integral to containment. Every single individual’s actions have consequences. While average Aragon students most definitely do not have millions of followers, we still have influence over our peers when we broadcast our actions on social media. We determine the social climate and overall attitude surrounding social distancing within our circles of communication.
Unfortunately, this needs to be said: stop partying during a pandemic. Although COVID-19, may at times seem like a distant issue that exists only on televised news reports, it exists everywhere, and the numbers speak for themselves. According to the National Public Radio, 196,000 people in the U.S. have died from COVID-19. This number is projected to be nearly 300,000 by December. More than 14,000 have died in California — over a hundred right here in our county as reported by the LA Times. Loved ones, neighbors, all taken too soon. These deaths, and more to come, could have been prevented, a heartbreaking conclusion that we collectively must be aware of.
Social distancing, due to the connection seeking nature of humanity, can be grueling. Difficulty keeping up with the onslaught of new information being presented can be understood. Mistakes happen, but a lack of lifestyle change to allow for the containment of the virus is not just apathetic, it’s downright cruel. If the pandemic has not influenced your daily habits at all, you’re doing something wrong. There are ways to be social without inflating the risk of spread such as having socially distanced picnics, eating takeout with friends in the front yard and much more. Months and months of isolation have wreaked havoc on the mental health of many, and the future seems bleak, but positive change is on the horizon as long as everyone adheres. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the U.S. could get COVID-19 under control in just two months if everyone wore a mask. Wear a mask. Stop partying. For the sake of us all, do it.
