“QuarantineChat” is a voice-app that permits users to chat with people from all around the world who are confined to their homes, but this app doesn’t need a phone number. Danielle Baskin and Max Hawkins, the creators of the app, came up with the idea of random calls with strangers around last year, bringing them to introduce QuarantineChat service.
In order to use the app, individuals must download Dialup, which is a “voice-chat app that connects you serendipitously to the people you want to stay in touch with”. Then the users get connected with other people around the world who are also dealing with the outcomes of coronavirus. When a phone rings, users are paired with a random individual who they can then proceed to have a conversation with.
In an interview with Business Insider, Baskin and Hawkins stated that the app is “to bring magic and serendipity to a new reality where thousands of people are stuck inside alone for the next month all over the world,” which is mainly for people in quarantine.
In addition to combating loneliness, Baskin and Hawkins believe the app can be helpful to the mental health of those who aren’t able to leave their homes and could be experiencing stress as a result. “It benefits people’s mental health to have random spontaneous connections – and it’s also fun,” Baskin told Artnet, adding that they added subtle humorous details such as elevator music to the service in the hopes that it brings people “moments of joy”.
According to the co-creators, there are currently about 70 people using the service, but it can handle up to 20,000 people. The voice-call service comes amid new guidelines released by the World Health Organization (WHO), which aim to help people suffering from mental health issues as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. According to the organization, those in isolation should “stay connected and maintain your social networks”. “Even when isolated, try as much as possible to keep your personal daily routines or create new routines,” the guidelines state.
An epic way to make the world a closer community, let us know if you try it!
Author: Sarah