10 Things That Will Never Be The Same After The Pandemic Ends

The longer I stay home for lockdown, the more things I can add to this list...

Human Interaction

Currently, if I miss something the most then it is meeting and talking to people in reality. The virtual nature of things has made me lose the feel of reality, of people, of touch, of enjoyment with friends, late-night parties. It seems like all that was ages ago. 

To be honest, I have not met new people since I started working from home. Meet people through apps is totally not my thing. You guessed it right, I have never used apps like Tinder or Bumble either. I must say, with so much technology for everything available it does not feel human-like anymore.

Saving

A penny saved is a penny earned! In 2020, people saved so much money that an old German bank owned by Commerzbank has negatively billed their fixed-term deposit customers.

Shopping seems like something I did ages ago. It was more of a relaxing therapy for me. Things have changed after this pandemic. I've realized, the less I have, the better I am focussed on more important things. I did not go out and hence saved on clothing, restaurants, expensive jewelry, gasoline costs.

Cybercrime

With lots of money and easy shopping options, consumers get more purchasing power. Online is as easy as a pie! However, guaranteeing the authenticity of the seller is a fool's errand causing numerous online scams. 

My husband bought an electronic device online. It was not in stock in Germany, so it had to be shipped from America. The fake website looked pretty real and asked for payment via bank transfer. After this transfer, the money was never recovered, not even after a police complaint. The transaction is particularly difficult to track as it moves through umpteen accounts before reaching the imposer. The police told us that the thieves have gotten smart and are using templates to create authentic-looking websites. Such sites are active for about a week and then are removed.

Health

Remote workers have to sit for prolonged hours while working. An atrocity on your back! Given the constant staring on various screens, eye health is going to be a huge concern for the next 5 to 10 years. My eating and drinking behavior has changed. My sleep cycle is messed up. With less and less travel, I only get crankier every day.

Eating

At home, I eat too much and it is not good for my weight. The only trips I take are to the supermarket. With the cold weather in March and all other stores closed, this is one of the things I look forward to after work. Although I have a wide variety of foods at home, I don't feel like cooking. (I also have a YouTube channel). As an Indian, you have too many options when it comes to food. I think some foods are best eaten outside even though you have the recipe and ingredients at home.

Work

We spend so much time online or on social media that every business is somehow trying to harness our limited attention through their online services. The kind of jobs that have never existed before are now becoming increasingly popular with the millennials and Gen Z. Teenagers with online businesses are quite common now than 10 years ago. Many surveys revealed that a top choice for occupation among Gen Z is 'YouTuber' or 'Influencer'.

The stigma surrounding remote working has completely decreased as companies realize that people work more productively when they work from the comfort of their homes.

Freedom at home and finding time to relax

Now the whole family can sit at home and continue their work, chat with friends, pursue hobbies, shop and find a date too. Even though mentally you are doing different activities, physically it's the same place. Your Home!

Normally when you travel between places your brain gets time to relax and also prepare for the change of environment. But now along with little or no rest, even your privacy under the sod. You need to take time to rest and contemplate the work you just finished. Only then 'begin' with the next thing.

Houses and Infrastructure

With online jobs getting more common, people will focus more on buying a bigger house, having separate rooms for different activities, or building a dream garden. Shift to a cheaper, beautiful country and prefer working from there. All those huge office spaces will soon be used for creating living spaces. Real estate and interior designing will have more focus and demand.

Shopping

Whenever I go downtown, I find one or two new stores that announce a clearing sale. The brick and mortar model is collapsing. Though not for all businesses. Supermarkets will still exist. Business owners are diverting more and more access to online shopping websites. Policies like click and collect, same-day delivery and online payment options make this even better.

Crypto and Investments

With more savings and multiple sources of income. People nowadays are more inclined towards investments in shares and cryptocurrencies. Investments in crypto seem promising over the next few years. Of course, unless the market crashes based on a tweet!

Here's a graph of how the words 'cryptocurrency', 'bitcoin', and 'Elon Musk' trended over the past 5 years. Bitcoin and Elon Musk go well together compared to Cryptocurrency and Bitcoin.

Priyanka Mane : Agilist | Digital Content Creator | Learner

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