If you've been watching cable lately (or Ads on Youtube), you may have noticed a slight change in how ads are being formatted/ structured for an audience. From car to food commercials, these ads have become less about selling and more about spreading awareness of how our world has changed to stop the spread of COVID-19. It's been just over a month since life has paused as social creatures adjust to being home 24/7- but for many everyday is a matter of life or death as they still have to work under the conditions of potentially contracting the disease that has shut down most of the world. Through many of these ads, we are made aware of the sacrifice they make everyday and how we should appreciate or at least think of them when we are counting the days of quarantine.Those of us who can afford to practice social distance so that we can stay safe and well should be grateful that we can because the ones out there treating patients, putting themselves on the line, do what they do so that we can continue to live.

Some ads even address another underrepresented group of people, who are not underappreciated but made invisible- those who are homeless or lower-income. Just the other day, I saw a KIA commercial that addressed the homeless youth population who don't have the resources to wash their hands, as they don't even have a roof over their head. KIA is one of the many companies that are putting in money to help the homeless/lower income population, to protect them from contracting COVID as well. As we're on our daily grind, we tend to forget this rather large part of the population, to the point where we normalize their status in society; it is almost expected to find a large amount of homeless people in a city area, so we don't think twice when we see them- if we do. But I was glad to see that companies such as KIA deciding to address their plight in an Ad, instead of trying to persuade the viewer to lease or buy a car using a cringy, yet memorable skit- or CGI hamsters.

Another part of the media that has changed because of COVID are talk shows, or just shows that require a live audience. I don't really watch many talk/late night shows, but there's a special place in my heart for Trevor Noah- his commentary and delivery of current events not only kept me informed but made my day. We need humor like his in times like this, and despite being quarantined and not in a studio, he still reports from his apartment in New York City, same jovial manner yet thoughtful commentary as always. He joins the list of late night/talk show hosts who report from their homes and it's interesting to look at the different ways each host handles it and the setting they report from. Some try to make it seem as if they are still at their studio in front of an audience, to get that sense of normalcy- and others, like Noah, are dressed in sweats and actually enjoying the privilege of being indoors and not having to adhere to a daily routine.

In a way, I feel more connected to these hosts than in their traditional format- and that's one of the key elements that I feel has changed media since the efforts of social distancing began; we're trying to stay together despite being apart and thus making a more intimate space for others by virtually sharing what it's like to be in our homes. It would be remiss to say that without social media/technology, we would all be going through a much tougher time than we are now- it's what's making social distancing tolerable and keeping us from complete and utter isolation. Despite the target date of reopening (May 15th, and in other places even sooner), it will take some time for things to "normalize, " for sure. But right now, I can appreciate the content being televised that has tried to keep us together and hopeful for the future to come.