Surely, everyone wants this terrible virus to be eradicated. News of vaccines being deemed safe and deployed to hospitals offered a ray of hope that soon enough the staggering death toll and number of cases will begin to drop. And only by putting an end to the public health crisis can we get the economy rolling again.
But that doesn't necessarily mean everybody is on board with returning back to the way things used to be.
Among those who appreciate the opportunity to work from home and not have to interact face-to-face with co-workers and the general public are:
- Introverts who are susceptible to being worn down by heavy social interaction
- Those, introverts or not, who prefer written to verbal communication
- People who don't miss getting stuck in rush hour traffic driving to and from work
- The ones who value the extra time to be able to perform household chores and make home improvements
- People seizing the opportunity to spend more time with their kids
- Individuals who are taking advantage of the time and ability to stream more shows and movies on platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu
- Tech savvy folks who don't mind online shopping and virtual doctor's appointments
Again, it's not to say the above people want this pandemic to go on longer. One life lost is one too many.
But many are hoping a combination of both forms of living lies in our future.
For example, not all companies allowed their employees to work from home pre-pandemic. Now that these organizations are beginning to realize that they can save money on overhead and get just as much productivity (if not more so) from their employees, perhaps many will move to a hybrid model going forward whereby employees are allowed to work from home a few times every week.
I would also imagine that, seeing as how Teladoc appointments have been so convenient for doctors and patients alike, the latter will have more flexibility to meet virtually with their physician going forward.
As for getting delivery via companies including Doordash, streaming using content providers like Netflix, and grocery shopping through apps such as Instacart, these services were already soaring in popularity before COVID-19 lockdowns were implemented. It isn't a stretch to say that such services are here to stay for the long haul as consumers continue to look for convenient ways to save time.
In sum, even those of us who don't mind being quarantined will admit that we often miss some pre-pandemic rituals like dinner and a movie, concerts and sporting events, traditional birthday celebrations, etc. It's felt like ages since we last hugged some of our friends and loved ones.
However, we still wouldn't mind if Zoom chats became more of a fixture in our lives if it means not spending as much time in traffic and dealing with pointless in-person work meetings.
Who doesn't like being able to work in their pajamas?
Comments