What social change do you think COVID will trigger?

[jewel1968]

I have been pondering this for a while and as we spend more time in lockdown I wonder what the long term social impacts will be. Some are fairly obvious but I am wondering what else might occur. For me I think when we finally get to the other side of this pandemic I can see some changes, such as:

• lots more home working where infrastructure allows
• more people continuing to exercise at home or in the park and gyms not so attractive
• fashion changes with people more focused on comfort e.g. high heels go out of favour
• perhaps an impact on how we look after children
• if schools perfect online learning we might see it used in some circumstances e.g. When kids are too sick to travel to school but could work from home
• a change in how we test kids e.g. might we move away from exams

I know some social scientists think we might enter a decadent period similar to the roaring twenties.

Interested in your thoughts...

It was already happening with more awareness of the environment but I’m very aware of how little ‘stuff’ actually adds to our lives, my dd(4) isn’t wanting for toys or anything like that but she is bored. Not being able to do anything makes me realise exactly how much we enjoyed getting out and about and seeing people we enjoy spending time with, everything else is just accessorising.

Covid has showed that thousands and thousands of kids just didn’t have the resources to pay for laptops, tablets or enough to go around a family or pay for all the data. Previously this meant going doing your best to do it at school or a library that wasn’t shut down but generally was just one of those for being poor. When you didn’t get the same GSCE or A levels as someone else then moral failing on your behalf.

We should expect at the mim that children doing exam years have the tech and data they need to compete fairly with their peers. Most will already have other disadvantages to be going along with.

As a Disabled person, I’d like to keep some of the systems that people like me have been asking for for years and years. Like going all the way into hospital hanging around for hours just to get a result that could have been sent in a letter. Or having to go into the doctors surgery when it could be done just as well remotely like a meds review.

Hopefully hand gel will be staying in shops and cafes to help bugs in general.

I'm hoping that working flexibly at your normal job while travelling or even living outside the UK will become possible, and countries might introduce a visa that allows for that

Estonia has, hopefully other countries will too.

Hopefully hand gel will be staying in shops and cafes to help bugs in general

Hopefully not, I think it would have the opposite effect and lead to antibiotic resistance. Just wash your hands instead.

I would like handshakes to be ditched. I'd like socially distanced queuing in shops to remain. I'd be happy for the Perspex screens to remain so cashiers aren't sneezed and coughed on.

I think that hand sanitizer in shops might stay. Cleaning your trolley handle might be a permanent thing - especially for the elderly and clinically vulnerable. I also wonder if masks in hospitals might remain permanent.

Going out will be the new staying in, in my house at least!

Doctors doing pre assessment on the phone before deciding to see in person.

Covid has showed that thousands and thousands of kids just didn’t have the resources to pay for laptops, tablets or enough to go around a family or pay for all the data.

School can order free mobile data from operators for disadvantaged families.
get-help-with-tech.education.gov.uk/about-increasing-mobile-data
Ideally this would continue so the kids can do their homework post-Covid

More space for everyone, whether in sports stadia, theatres, planes, trains, offices, hospitals, GP surgeries, care homes, etc. The pandemic has shown that crowding too many people into small spaces isn't a good idea. Obviously it will take time to change/build physical places such as buildings and vehicles, but in the meantime, I can foresee that having seats etc blocked out of use will continue to allow people to have a bit of space.

@poppycat10

Hopefully hand gel will be staying in shops and cafes to help bugs in general

Hopefully not, I think it would have the opposite effect and lead to antibiotic resistance. Just wash your hands instead.

Of course, IF, hand washing is available, then it's obviously better, but there are so many places where it's not, and even where there are public toilets, there's often no soap or no hot water. A good start would be forcing local councils to provide public conveniences again, and actually look after them. Some local council toilets (ie in council car parks etc) are an absolute disgrace.

I don’t think we will ever get a proper snow day again! School and work can be done at home so no excuse if you’re snowed in.

@Kazzyhoward

More space for everyone, whether in sports stadia, theatres, planes, trains, offices, hospitals, GP surgeries, care homes, etc. The pandemic has shown that crowding too many people into small spaces isn't a good idea. Obviously it will take time to change/build physical places such as buildings and vehicles, but in the meantime, I can foresee that having seats etc blocked out of use will continue to allow people to have a bit of space.

How are businesses going to run on half the seats occupied? This would required doubling the price of things like cinema tickets, bus fares etc.

I know kids can get help with laptops and data now I’m
Not sure how long this support will be around once kids are back in school or later years.

I'm hoping that emphasis on people's mental health and well-being will be a long term thing.

I think emphasis on, & understanding of, mental health has gone down since covid started.

A short hair trend after not having the option!

I think people may think twice about moving too far away from family- e.g. not moving hundreds of miles away for University or work/going to live abroad.

WFH is here to stay so less people will move to London/other big cities, choosing to travel and stay over a couple of times a month only.

Housing demand has already changed with people wanting places with outside space/spare rooms to work in.

I think this is a really interesting question and one I've been pondering ....

I hope - and expect

1. A re-evaluation of our health service and our nation's health... at a minimum training more health professionals and investing in adequate resources... but hopefully more, like a real recognition that one of the reasons we had the highest death rate per capita is that we are the fattest nation in Europe and that we can be more pro=active about building a healthier country

1. Masks worn more - and NOT going into the office "gallantly" with a cold or virus to cheerfully share it with everyone while stoically soldiering on... hopefully like more sensible countries, staying home if ill and working from home if well enough

1. This Im less sure about but really hope we radically look at our relationship with the environment - how we interact and how Covid was caused, as well as the simpler being outside and walking having an impact on our mental and physical well-being

Sadly, I do think people will plunge back into flying to cheap overseas holidays as soon as they can....

And I can't see it changing our politicians... even Boris I think will get away with it (but how?!?!?!?)

Poverty.

Poverty.

Poverty.

The predictions of the demise of eating out seem to be a bit premature - quite honestly, if I have to spend another Saturday night in I’ll scream. After visiting family, getting some tables booked is the first thing I’ll be doing when opportunity allows.

I think people will really want to go out and socialise and I think there’ll be quite a big shift in fashion when they do. It could go more formal as a clear move against dressing for home. We will have been at home for at least 2 years before social life gets properly going again and we aren’t going to want to wear the same old styles. After both world wars there were exiting new fashions (flapper and the Dior new look).

Agree with SuperSimkin.

I don’t think there’ll be much (if any) societal change for the good. It’ll be more austerity and generations of paying off debts.

I think most things will just go back to normal.

I don't know anyone, including myself, that isn't itching to get back to flying, cruises, restaurants and pubs.

And honestly the PP saying Glastonbury won't happen again are deluding themselves. Despite the vocal few on MN that hate social interactions most people are social animals. They want to be part of big 'events' and this won't change. Isn't it obvious with the reports of illegal parties that people crave that interaction. Glastonbury was a right of passage when I was a young adult and events like that will continue to be in the future.

I think the divisions between groups of people and how they have experienced the pandemic will be felt for a long time. Clearest difference between those children who could access and engaged with good online education and those who were not - we will notice that in GCSE and A Level results for years to come, surely, and it will exacerbate existing gaps.

I suspect struggling into the office feeling ill will be a thing of the past, but because so many people will be set up for home working, working from home for the day rather than taking a sick day will be encouraged.

I think there will be more emphasis on people rather than stuff, but I don’t know.

But paying this financial blow back is going to take a lot of roaring twenties...

Bring on the decadent period! Sounds good!

I think people will be desperate to dress up and go out after months of staying home in comfy clothes!

Agree with pp about more flexible working patterns.

Employers - I hope - being more supportive of people not going to work if they are sick instead of expecting them to struggle in regardless.