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COVID-19: Changing Society, Testing Technology, and Exposing Who We Are as People
2 months ago, the idea of remote work, less social contact, and free pizza delivery resembled a dream come true. Today, it embodies the strange reality of living midst COVID-19, a truly unprecedented time. Media loves to overuse the word “unprecedented,” but I think this’s the time to use it. I’m only 23, but, from what I understand, this is the first “global economy shutdown + digital-quarantine” experience ever. Things are getting weird and becoming clear. First, we’re at a point where we can sustain our social identities solely through technology — which will presumably escalate our need to rely on it. Two, there’s a lot we don’t understand about the world still and that’s apparent thanks to the blatant disarray of the government at large. Three, there’s a silver-lining in realizing what the Coronavirus reveals about the people around us.
My initial reaction to quarantine…
… was something like “life’s over.”
Not in an overly dramatic way, but in a decently dramatic way. I did foresee some serious, unexpected lifestyle changes on the way, so there was some drama to it. Drama… I mean, the whole social distancing thing feels like theatre practice kinda. We’re all suddenly trying to be socially-distant-social-creatures and avoid…
