Quarantine is a difficult thing to go through, especially for high schoolers who thrive on social interaction and are undergoing the process of becoming the person they want to be. However, quarantine is a necessity in the foreseeable future, so things must be done to pass the time. 

Without further ado, here is the ultimate guide to thriving in a quarantine.

Playing Video Games

Video games are a tried and true way to pass the time for hours on end. Whether it be a mobile, console or PC game, all are massive time sinks and can momentarily distract from the horrors occuring in the real world. 

Not many new games have come out during this period of time because big developers want to have a hard copy release at the same time as the online release. Yet, some franchises have pushed out their games to have a wider audience. Two notable releases that can captivate for hours are Animal Crossing: New Horizons on the Nintendo Switch and Valorant on PC. Animal Crossing is an old franchise wherein the player builds up their island and progresses in real-world time. Catching fish and bugs are a common pastime, or maybe one could recreate the Las Vegas strip; the game is entirely up to the imagination. Valorant is the newest release from Riot Games, a First-Person Shooter that meshes together two popular shooting games Counter Strike and Overwatch. Dropped into a futuristic world in a 5v5 online setting, the players must fight in games that last approximately 45 minutes. 

Of course, there are a plethora of games available to play that will fill your time.

“Videogames are a nice time killer, and playing a bunch of one game that you really enjoy and getting good at it is always a fun experience,” said sophomore Aiden Donaldson.

Reading a Book

Going back to the good old days when reading a book was one of the only ways to pass time, younger members of society are slowly edging back to the appreciation of books. A good book can take the mind off whatever is going on in life and enrapture the reader in another world. It’s always good to pick up a classic like Cannery Row by John Steinbeck, set in Monterey or reading a series such as Hunger Games or Harry Potter to get the full story outside of the movies. If money is tight, most books are downloadable for free online from libraries or for cheap from Amazon as an eBook. It’s never bad to cozy up with a good book in bed, day or night, rain or shine.

“Painting all over the walls of my room, reading, hiking, and way too much video games,” said junior Leila Marashi about her quarantine pastimes. “I’m currently rereading the books Palo Alto and Beautiful Boy.”

Binging a TV series or a Movie

Most people were already doing this prior to quarantine, but now that everyone is stuck inside, there is more time to pick up new shows and find new movies. For the best movies and TV shows on Netflix right now, check out Jason Carpenter’s article. A good chunk of movies to pass the time are any and all mob/mafia movies. The Godfather, GoodFellas and The Irishman all span about three hours and have a compelling story from start to finish. For binge-worthy TV shows, Big Mouth and Sex Education cater to teen humor and each have a solid 20 hours, give or take, of run time.

Netflix Suggestions for Quarantine

Having a Quarantine Dance Party

Invented back when quarantine started, dance parties in the bedroom, whether alone or while FaceTiming with a friend, can be the peak of quarantine inventiveness. Just pop in some earbuds or put on a speaker, queue up some songs and get to dancing. It also doubles as an intense workout. The Beatles are always the go-to for dancing music, Marvin Gaye has some hits like I Heard It Through The Grapevine or Ain’t No Mountain High Enough. Almost any song can be danced to if given enough effort. Otherwise, just go to the next one! 

Whatever passes the time inside is better than going outside and hanging out with friends without being socially distant. Hanging out with friends during this time is selfish and although the risk is low for teens, the consequences that could be brought upon those around them are monumental. 

Please stay inside and try to pass the time with some of these ideas!