Adapting to Quarantine: The New Normal

The world has been experiencing big shifts in societal expectations as of lately. With a global pandemic on the loose, it’s up to everyone to control/slow the spread. This means we all have to adjust to new regulations. While it’s been tough cooped up inside for everyone, we’ve managed to adapt. However, where will we be when this is all over? Willcertain habits be retained? Or will it be easy to slip back into life pre-COVID-19?

Several countries around the world have put some kind of lockdown in place, restricting person to person contact as much as possible. However, human beings are known to be very social creatures. “[Social interactions] form the basis of our families, our governments, and even our global economy,” said Elizabeth Pennisi, a writer for WIRED. With that in mind, we’ve reduced our outdoor activities, connected with others using the Internet, and canceled large gatherings of any kind. However, how will we normalize these activities/routines again? Sure, people want to get back to their old lives: the anti-lockdown protests in the US are proof of that. But the tangibility of this crisis won’t fade away as quickly as one might think. 

“People, during times of prolonged, radical change, end up changing,” said Luka Lucic, a Pratt Institute psychologist. Social distancing is crucial right now, but will these – dare I say, fears be carried on into the years to come? Here’s an example: buffets. As a restaurant that relies on its shared / all you can eat feature, I don’t see it being too popular soon given the ‘risk’ of shared utensils and food selections.  “People are going to… remain hesitant,” said Allison Aubrey, a correspondent for NPR News. 

Despite all this gloom, there are some good things to have come out of this situation. People are looking out for others in a way they might have not before: these “changes in thinking,” said Sim Kang, a psychiatrist at Singapore’s Institute of Mental Health, “can reflect not just in-the-moment altruism but deeper emotional growth that can outlast a crisis.” Despite being separated from one another, this pandemic has brought our race as a whole, closer. “All of us are feeling the social, economic and personal impacts of these measures,” noted Daniel A. Kertsz, a writer for Bangkok Post. And when we experience things as a community, we become more empathetic for one another as well. Another positive influence is the increase of self-hygiene.“I think a lot of this will become part of the new normal … we may also be using more gadgets in our home to monitor our health,” said Aubrey. Right now is the peak of promoting personal cleanliness, and it’s something that’s likely going to remain after COVID-19. 

This is a group effort: stay safe everyone.

source:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/world/americas/coronavirus-social-impact.html

https://www.wired.com/2011/11/humans-social/

https://www.npr.org/2020/04/27/845322553/new-normal-how-will-things-change-in-post-pandemic-world