Link Tank: Animal Crossing’s Popularity During Social Distancing Explained

Animal Crossing's popularity, how to support indie bookstores, the rise of "zoom-bombing", and more!

Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Why is Animal Crossing so popular during this pandemic quarantine? Answer: delayed gratification.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a peaceful game set in an island town of the player’s own creation, where activities include decorating your house, chatting with your animal neighbors, planting flowers, and going fishing. It’s like the comforting video-game equivalent of knitting a sweater, arriving just as real life amid the coronavirus pandemic was growing increasingly bleak.”

Read more at The Week.

Indie bookstores are among some of the most affected businesses during quarantine. Here’s how you can help support them.

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“Independent bookstores are among the many businesses feeling the impact of the novel coronavirus crisis. While independent stores definitely have a place in their communities, high overhead costs and competition with bigger retailers means indie booksellers are especially vulnerable during a time where businesses are being forced to close their doors. Even if you’re stuck inside for the foreseeable future, here are some ways you can support your local bookstores while staying safe.”

Read more at Mental Floss.

Stevie Budd from Schitt’s Creek may just be one of the best written women on television.

“Although the Rose family is at the forefront of the series, there is one character that stands out in CBC breakout comedy Schitt’s Creek, and it’s not Roland Schitt; it’s the Rosebud Motel’s Stevie Budd. Portrayed by the incredible Emily Hampshire (who you may know from Syfy’s 12 Monkeys), Stevie is introduced to the audience in the very first episode…”

Read more at The Mary Sue.

With everyone stuck indoors, here’s how you can improve your home wifi speed.

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“Chances are, your home internet is under a lot more strain than normal at the moment: With schools and workplaces temporarily closing all across the globe, you might well be fighting with your family or your housemates for any available bandwidth. If you want to limit buffering and maximize speeds, we’ve got a few tips to consider.”

Read more at Gizmodo.

As more of classes are taking place over conference calls, pranksters are coordinating to “zoom-bomb” these calls and harass teachers.

“The video begins with a teacher in front of a web camera, instructing her students on the day’s lessons. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, all the participants are communicating online, using the video conferencing app Zoom. But they aren’t alone. The meeting has also been infiltrated by pranksters who are set on disrupting the class with curse words and racist taunts.”

Read more at PCMag.

Netflix’s Ozark is full of crazy moments. Check out the ten best ones, courtesy of our friends at Thrillist!

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Ozark, Netflix’s blood-soaked money-laundering crime drama, takes great pleasure in making viewers squirm. While the show’s action mostly plays out in a scenic Missouri vacation spot, the type of sleepy community where out-of-towners drink beers and drive boats all summer, the actual activities the characters engage in tend to be incredibly grisly, violent, and just plain unpleasant. Betrayal, murder, and torture are all on the menu. It’s not all fun in the sun — in fact, it’s mostly dark and shadowy.”

Read more at Thrillist.