A question being asked by many in our society is what is life going to look like after this pandemic? Could society possibly rethink of implementing the changes put in place during the pandemic as the new system? A lot of people’s lives have changed due to this virus: kids and young adults are to take remote classes; adults are experiencing job losses due to the shut down of the economy and so forth. People are less more likely to interact in person (less dinners in group settings, less outings etc.) than before and also more jobs are moving to remote work to accommodate the workers and limit cluttering of people in these difficult times. It seems surreal almost like a movie, but this is what life has become the “New Normal” and nobody knows precisely what to expect in the following days or months.
Introduction
The pandemic is a new experience that people of this century have been exposed to. It is as if we live in a world that is foreign to us and we are to discover ways to adjust to this change in environment. Lots of people are bearing the consequences that this pandemic has brought. Loss of family members, loss of jobs, financial stability and so forth. All of these things pile up to further the consequences by increasing anxiety and stress which also lead to further problems. It is definitely a system people need time to adjust to and possibly accept as the new normal. Hilary Godwin, dean of the University of Washington’s School of Public Health, expects to still see people wearing masks in public a year from now. She said “mask-wearing will become more normal, the way it has been in many Asian countries in recent years. We’ll see a shift toward that.” If this is the case, then it is most likely that we will also see a shift in the business world to a much more remote work friendly environment.
Methods
The aim of this lab is to highlight the changes that have affected people’s lives and understand how this new life most likely will turn out to be the “New Normal”. So how far are we from “Normal” one may ask? As stated before, masks most likely are going to be a part of our lives for some time now considering what Godwin said in regard to that. We should expect the United States to change to a mask-wearing culture. Also, with the increase in digital technologies and realization that some industries can continue the workflow without people being present in person we should expect an inclination to more remote work and schooling. We now do not have to physically be in the same room to accomplish many things. Researchers have shown through different data that more entities, businesses, and industries are adopting these new changes and adjusting to them and how likely they are to remain like that. What about the individuals? Well, researchers also conducted surveys on how far we are from normal which contained questions to understand how really lives have been changed.
Data
The pandemic has significantly changed the lives of people and what they were used to. We see the differences in the reported data how life was prior to Covid-19 and after Covid-19. “According to the results communication in the age of coronavirus is a lot less up-close-and-personal than it was a year ago. Back in August in 2019, 96% of people had a great in person conversation. As of last month, that number sank to 21%.” And as we read the results, we see so many more changes in interactions of people in person. For example, “ In parallel, attendance at a family functions plummeted from 73% in August 2019 to 11% in August 2020. Two-thirds of people reported catching up with family members virtually this past month, compared to just 16% this time a year ago. It’s not just a friends and family aren’t only Real life is shifting more and more to an ‘unreal real life” behind screens. Friends and family are not the only ones affected by this situation but also working professionals, businesses, and students are using video conferencing apps to stay connected. Media companies such as Netflix have introduced new features in their apps that permits a group of people to watch a movie or a show together whilst having a chat section to interact with each other for the duration of the show or movie. It is an interesting feature that was mobilized recently as this company saw the opportunity to bring on the table something that would connect people in a unique way.
Here we are shown how people used to work prior and after covid-19. The results show an increase working remotely after covid-19. “The reality is employees will not be returning to the same office they left behind. There will be fewer
people, restricted collaboration spaces and rotating shifts — all of which will require teams to find new ways to connect and collaborate. More than anything else, this need for connections is likely to shape what the office is going to represent. This could prompt more businesses to switch to a remote working environment”. All these new changes are forging the new normal and it is not easy to predict the outcome of these adjustments.
Discussion and Conclusion
From the results of the data we see the way covid-19 has changed lives of people and how they have had to adjust to the new normal. These data may start fluctuating as things as people get to know the gist about the virus and approach it accordingly in a safe manner. We do not know exactly what the future holds but we know that we must adapt to what this new world. The pandemic has forced all of us to make unsatisfying tradeoffs in our personal lives and most Americans are eager to get back to something that resembles the normal of a year ago. But we are pretty far from that and no one knows what the future holds for us. Accepting the changes and adapting to it is the best resolution for now.
Citations
PricewaterhouseCoopers. “US Remote Work Survey.” PwC, 25 June 2020, www.pwc.com/us/en/library/covid-19/us-remote-work-survey.html.
Pearl, Robert. “Coronavirus Survey Shows American Life Is Far From ‘Normal’.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 21 Sept. 2020, www.forbes.com/sites/robertpearl/2020/09/21/coronavirus-survey-normal/?sh=69d5d79b2593.
Wilson, Jillian. “Experts Predict What Life Will Be Like After A COVID-19 Vaccine Arrives.” HuffPost, HuffPost, 15 Sept. 2020, www.huffpost.com/entry/life-after-covid-19-vaccine_l_5f2ad9c6c5b64d7a55ed7b2c?guccounter=1.
