As parts of the United States start to slowly open from months in quarantine, the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 has seen a large increase. A majority of these cases can be attributed to parties with large crowds where very few of the attendees wear masks. 

“A series of recent house parties—including one attended by young people between the ages of 14 and 19 in Middletown—have been linked to 50 more positive [coronavirus] cases,” said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. “Additionally, a party on Long Beach Island has now sidelined nearly three dozen Surf City lifeguards.” 

So why are parties all of a sudden starting to be more popular? The answer is social media. Adults, young adults and teenagers have been using different social media websites over the past few years to share various pictures and videos of their lives, getting the opportunity to connect with their friends and family over the Internet. As time has passed, social media apps have developed into a way to brag to your followers about the new clothes you’ve just bought or the party that you’re at. Even well-known celebrities have started throwing parties in hopes of garnering some attention.

Many celebrities and influencers around the U.S. have openly admitted to attending these parties, posting about them on social media apps such as Instagram and Twitter. A great majority of the general public have expressed outrage at the idea of these influential people, in a sense, telling their audience that it is alright to mingle in large groups and risk exposure to the coronavirus. Others have stated that we, the public, have no right to tell a person what to do and what not to do. Claiming that what a person decides to do with their body and health is their decision and no one else’s.   

The great majority of the people throwing and participating in these gatherings have shown to be teenagers who, after being locked up in their homes all day, decided to attend these parties in a hope of getting freedom. The increase in parties throughout the country has seemed to directly contribute to the increase in coronavirus cases, and with no signs of these parties stopping, this quarantine can become longer than expected.