Drifts in a post covid world

 The corona virus pandemic has taught us to deal with unprecedented, large scale changes to the way we operate. When it started, the human race believed it would have an eventual end date and all will be well. It is now evident that virus spreads are here to stay, restrictions will be the norm and not a temporary control initiative. 

Our lives have changed for good measure and we will be better off learning to adapt. All of recorded history is a tiny fraction of the total time that the earth has been in existence and history has shown us the planet is capable of mass extinctions and new life.  Thanks to all the advancements made, there are sufficient tools to help humans adapt to change better than ever before. 

These are some of the changes in broader society , trends already underway that can become more commonplace in a post pandemic world . 

 Elders  might have to live alone - as a norm

Parents and in-laws , an integral part of the family unit, might be forced to live away from the younger members of their family. Think of the number of colleagues and friends who stay away from work or social events because they have elders at home and are scared if they might pass on the virus.  

Any virus that goes for the immune system will take a heavier toll on older and sick segments of society. Over the long term, co-existing might deprive opportunities for those who can brave the virus and be out and about, with social distancing. While this might sound heretic especially in cultures like ours,  older family members might start staying in separate houses for safety reasons. Care giving will be in demand and assisted living will be the norm. Retirement communities will take off stronger. Children will make their peace with it and elderly parents will wilfully stay alone in the times to come. Conscious effort and planning will go into this. 

 Finding a partner will become a life skill

Finding a partner tends to be a result of  primal instincts to reproduce . The factors that determine this right now, are physical like-ability, compatibility in education and family status, societal acceptance of perceived class etc;  not so much alignment in thinking, complimentary interests and a general liking for each others personality, patience to put up with each others idiosyncrasies. These take time to understand and appreciate in each other.  Like it or not,  the decision to find a mate is complex, given the long term nature of the marital commitments thrust by society. If a majority of one's  time awake is going to be spent at home with the partner, there is no place to hide. Work spaces thus far created a twin existence eco system - we are very different as people at home and work.  In the new normal, considerable time will have to be spent in finding a mate. Sadly, this is a skill not taught anywhere.  Courses could evolve on the subject, marriage counsellors will be in demand, dating apps will become ubiquitous, live-in relationships will be widely accepted as necessary, marriages will be optional, psychologists and mental health professionals will be more relevant than before. The life partner will be a decisive factor in success, health and mental peace. Finding one will be an essential life skill. 

Keeping up with tech will give a distinctive edge

In any group - family, a team at work or a class of students -  the person who is comfortable with technology will have a clear edge.  Practical technology savviness , right from the ability to comprehend underlying technology in business applications, right down to the basics such as solving connectivity issues, ability to fix minor computer glitches, innate comfort in connecting to video calls, knowledge of apps that solve problems etc,  will be a significant positive.  While programmers, hardware folks and the like will benefit from every business turning into a digital business,  comfort with technology will no longer be restricted to technical professions.  The home baker who can market well online, the therapist who can reach out better through a video call, the doctor who can use online tools , will be more successful  than their peers more knowledgeable in subject matter. One can argue this has always been true, but the case is much stronger in a post-covid world.

Specific jobs will emerge for women working from home 

Women in India have not been a significant part of the organised work force, thanks to the unfair proportion of family care-giving thrust upon them by society.  Whether they like it or not, family care, cooking etc, are roles they are assigned to for life - most likely by other women in the family. This led to restricted mobility and women did not have too many options to "work from home" .   Covid 19 took "work from anywhere" to a new level. Newer security measures and remote working  broke the out dated  "data is safe only in the office" rules.  

Roles such as  IT maintenance and improvement,  specific programming, data processing , teaching programming, transcription, remote support and so many other streams have opened up to "work from anywhere" and women are lapping it up.  Employers  will find that women are more dependable, accountable and tend to stay on longer , when given the option to work in a flexible environment.  Every home will now be an office. Women will have more options to keep themselves skilled and return to the workforce full time when kids grow up, now that there will not be an employment gap.

The search for a second home  

The pandemic saw immigrants such as myself go back to their home town, for the safety and comfort of being with immediate family.  While some jobs offer the flexibility of working out of smaller towns,  the aspirational will most likely seek out cities for the sake of the education of their children / the need to be physically present in office. This will however, spawn the need for a second home that offers the comfort of an alternate life, away from the madness of the city.  This second property will serve as an alternate home , a chance to lead dual lives and give children a slice of the balanced life parents themselves had growing up. Homes in Tier II cities will see a pick up in demand, farm lands will see a spike in interest and small towns will expand in scope, scale for businesses. 

The world as we see it now offers a lot of opportunities - to reset priorities, tread uncharted territory, approach life with renewed rigour and enthusiasm.  There is a lot to look forward to.