[PappaPatat]

> She said that "social distancing" is a medical technical term that doesn't translate super well to the public.

Which is 100% the opposite of what I in my daily life observe: everyone, young & old, private & work, calls it social distancing.

It addresses the issue better too, then the "proposed" physical distancing. When you pass people physically the (need and) possibility to keep that 2 meters is often impossible where as while socialising it very much is.

[Thriptic]

Yeah but that's the point. The use of this term makes people think that this is simply about socializing when it is not. The fact that it's hard to stay 6 feet away from someone else in a city while outside is why people should stop going outside unless they absolutely have to. It's not enough to simply stop hanging out with people, and this idea can't be communicated well with this term. Many people I see outside make no attempt at distancing themselves from strangers they are passing or while shopping.

[markkanof]

It's also just a disturbing use of language. Human beings are social creatures and derive a ton of benefit from our relationships with other people. If anything we should all be coming together socially to support each other through a difficult time, while trying to maintain an appropriate physical distance from one another.

[nikofeyn]

right. everyone is using the term, but nobody is abiding by it. i see tons of people still within close physical distances of each other. or people walking up on you in the supermarket. there is literally nothing confusing about physical distancing. social distancing has a lot of ambiguity.

[saiya-jin]

I travel in full bus squeezed tight with other people, but I am not socializing so I should be then fine, right?

This kind of double meaning will literally kill people out there. Physical distance is a clear term. Social can and will be understood in many ways. I can imagine somebody thinking if he isn't on facebook on phone, he is distancing socially.