A guide to people-watching (revised for Covid)

1. Observe! What are people doing?
What's their expression, can you tell
how they're feeling?1. Observe! What are people doing? Perhaps sitting in front of a window so they're
in silhouette and you really can't tell
if they have a facial expression?
Do they even have their video on?2. How do they move? Are they graceful? Confident?
Unsure and awkward? Is their stride springy or
gloomy and sad? What does this tell you about them?2. How do they move? Are they glitchy? Is their connection
perfect, crystal
clear? When they
walk with their device, do they
manage to keep it steady?
How much of this actually tells you about them? Are you
just learning about their computer?3. How does their voice sound? Is it quiet
or loud, gentle
or sharp, solid
or trembling? What can you
learn from this?3. Does their voice
garble, break up, like choppy waves, slamming
into your earbuds, then
abruptly washing out? Do they
manage to sound like they're
not an alien for
most of the words? What can you learn
about their internet connection?4. Look at the way they
have shown up today. What clothes are
they wearing? Have they brushed
their hair? Does this give you any insight
into who they are?4. Memorize
their profile picture.
An adorable animal? A gentle
mountain view? A reference
to some movie you're
never seen?5. And, finally, think about
how they might see the world, what things would look like
through their eyes.
​Do these thoughts
change the way you see, make you feel
more empathetic?5. Close your eyes and try to
transport yourself through your screen to
behind theirs.
Do they see your own profile picture
at the top of that Google Doc?
Do they know you're thinking of them?
Do they think about you? Or do they
not care, because, well, you never really knew them.

Do these thoughts

make you feel

lonelier than ever?​