As India eases its lockdown policies, people are beginning to think that the real impact of Covid 19 is behind us. They are hoping that the cases will reduce and go away very soon. Some even predict India will have zero cases in few weeks. While the Corona pandemic may ease and people will begin to adjust and co-exist with Corona Virus, the real impact of the virus on our economy, society, workplace and behaviour is yet to be seen. We are not even able to predit the damage it can cause in our lives for few years or may be for ever.
Most people believe (and some studies prove the same) that habits are formed by doing something regularly for 21 days. This lockdown due to corona pandemic which has gone beyond 21 days is sure to make some changes in our habits, not only personally, but also in how we function as a society.This blog is just a random list of such changes which we may see or experience in various aspects of our life in the coming months or years, purely based on my thoughts. Some are based on what I have read during these days, some imaginary, some intuitive and some just a wish or hope. You may agree or disagree but if you think of anything else which can impact us beyond this list, please feel free to add the same in the comments !
Work
Work from home (WFH) may become part of most companies HR Policy. The policy may be detailed to the extent of login hours, dress codes, mandatory online attendance, performance measurements etc.
"100% work from home" jobs to become reality very soon. Imagine a corporate office space which has just few workstations, cabins and conference room – all booked on demand ! This could be a possibility soon as companies move their employees to work from home on a permanent basis.
"Desktop in cloud" as a technology has not been adopted much considering the cost involved. However, this pandemic will increase the number of companies opting for desktop on cloud.
Many companies would invest more in research and development incluing increase in budget for IT projects. Imagine if this pandemic hit us when internet was through dial-up connections! Technolgoy is going to play a big role, infact complete role in our lives as we move ahead.
The BCP plans and documents will go for a huge revision. Pandemic as a "natural disaster" or as a "black-swan" event, will hold a permanent place in the BCP documents.
The fad behind open work spaces will die eventually. Companies will move back to closed cubicles and work spaces. This is not just because of social distancing, but also to ensure that employees work in a more "undisturbed" environment especially for jobs which require deep thinking.
Social
Social distancing will be a norm every where you go especially crowded places. Personal space is an approximate space surrounding an individual in which other people should not physically violate in order for them to feel comfortable and secure.The real definition of the personal space itself may require a change including the spread of our Aura around us. I know am going little overboard here but cant stop thinking about it.
One thing which lockdown has taught us is to survive with minimal things. More people will accept the concept of minimalism, which will gain popularity.
As the Gods in religious places are on holiday and with more importance (read it as dependence) given to science to save the human mankind, people (especially GenZ and Alpha) will incline towards atheism, monotheism and agnosticism.
With people (couples) being together at home for more time, this also causes friction and unnecessary discussion. There will be an increase in domestic abuse and inturn increased divorce rates in the coming years.
The average age for marriage has been increasing every day. This pandemic will also have an impact on this. The Gen Z and later will think twice before tying the knot and taking more responsibility. Mariage as an institution will find lesser takers.
Video Conference calls between families will be more common and virtual get-togethers will be something to look forward to.
More pople would develop interest in cooking, singing, reading, painting and so many other interests which they burried long time back. Just imagine if I have developed some interest to write a cookery book for men !!
As people find different ways to keep kids engaged other than mobile, phone and TV, its going to be a huge comeback for board games like snake and ladder, ludo, chess, carroms, business, cards etc.
Economy and Shopping
There will be an increased need for organic food and immunity boosters. Good time for organic stores and those who are manufacturing natural products.
Online newspaper and magazines will take bigger market share. As print-ad revenues drop, its going to be a tough time for newspapers and other magazines to survive. They will have to compete very hard in the online space which is dominated currently by companies like Magzter. Am still wondering why Magzter is not available in Kindle :(
Being an Indian, have you ever wondered how idiotic it was to stand in line to get the latest Apple phone? This will be the new normal to buy anything in the shopping mall for several months.
Demand for micro Term-insurance may increase as people try to understand the benefits of term insurance and learn about other investment vehicles which are better than LIC endowment plans.
After the few months of inactivity, the demand for small cars will increase gradually as middle class start using cars for long distance travel, and reduce travelling by train.
People would think twice before investing in a property especially apartments and office spaces. However, there will be an Increase in demand for farm houses and plots in tier 2 and tier 3 cities including hill stations. The ones who are having fun during such pandemic times are those who own some piece of land. Sigh !!
Struggling to find some space to work from home ? Home Office will be part of the floor plan in most upmarket appartment complexes very soon.
The biggest impact during this lockdown and in the coming months will be the investments in startups. This is also going to reduce the interest in upcoming entrepreneurs who wanted to venture into something new in the startup space. However, the pandemic will also open up new oppurtunties which was not possible or viable earlier like for eg: the online agri produce agregators who have suddenly popped up every where.
The tourism industry is going to suffer for a long time especially those who are in to international tourism. The new domestic players who have started innovative mini-travel packages and customized tours may find increased interest as people prefer domestic destinations.
Movies
Some of the best movies in the world will be the ones which will be made in next two years. With so much of time available for directors and script-writers to think, its going to be a feast for movie lovers.
In India, direct movie release in OTT platform with unique payment models for premieres will become a real thing. Imagine FDFS at the convenience of your home. (I will always prefer the theatre crowd though). But then, we also have the so called "associations" which wil try to destroy such technologies. Bad time for cinema theatre owners will contine.
Rajinikanth is one actor who has acted in all forms of cinema like black&white, color, motion catpure, animation etc. Recently he made a debut on Television as well. But with more takers for Webseries recently, Rajini may act in one too. (Just my wish :)
The coming years will also see lot of collaboration between actors and film makers from across the world to make unique creations like short films, albums etc mostly through online interaction.
Health
Sanitizers and masks will be part of our life for many years.
The general health of people will improve due to continuous use of masks and sanitizers and also because of increased hygiene and steps taken to increase immunity. But is anyone worried about the long term damage of using sanitizers continuously?
People will realize they don’t have to go to hospital for every disease. They will become aware that most of it can be cured by our body itself.
Men - 80’s hairstyle with step cuts and long side burns may come back in fashion. Yes, am sure there are many men out there who would have never imagined their faces with such long hair !
There will be an increase in sales of trimmers and many will develop the skill to trim their own hair / beard etc at home.
Women - There will be a huge demand for women beauty products as soon as the lockdown is over, as many will be hesitant to go to parlours for months.
Education
Interest for online schooling (without going to school) will increase leaps and bounds – its high time the govt start supporting this and provide appropriate recognition for such students.
The education startups like Byju's, Khans academy, Udemy etc will have a great time with more people using online tools to educate themselves or thier kids.
