Experiences From 2020 That Might Be Here to Stay
From coordinating home recess to attending funerals by Zoom, 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged us to adapt in ways many of us had not imagined. As we look beyond the pandemic, how much of our current experience will remain? What lessons have we learned? Can we be more resilient in the future? Let’s explore some observations and questions.
1) The Digital K-12 Classroom — Many schools systems across the nation have used remote learning platforms at some point as local communities have struggled to balance the need for student and teacher safety with their educational mission. Despite the length of the remote learning experience, it is safe to say that most parents have a renewed appreciation for teachers and look forward to a time when all children can return to the classroom safely. However, the quality of education across neighborhoods can vary significantly leaving many students in poorer communities without access to an educational experience that meets their potential. The use of virtual resources like Kahn Academy have shown success for many students. Is now the time for public schools to begin constructing a digital bridge in K-12 education, where the untapped potential of students in lower performing schools can be virtually integrated into learning opportunities at peer schools? Will the classroom of the future maintain a hybrid component?
2) Recalculating the Price of a College Education — Whether the plans were to leave home for college for the first time or return to campus for a new year, the traditional college experience, too, has been turned on its head during the pandemic. Some students have spent the fall semester learning from home near their parents while others have been on campus in the classroom or splitting their learning experience between in-person and remote learning from the dormitory. These experiences have placed a unique spotlight on the cost of a college tuition, which may grow larger as the financial effects of high unemployment and housing insecurity cause some students and their families to re-evaluate affordability as well as the salary that a new college graduate can expect. How will colleges with a traditional in person educational product respond constructively to this headwind during and following the pandemic?
3) Telehealth and the Digital Medical Visit — The flexibility and resiliency of our health care system has been stressed unlike any time in recent memory. With decreases in the availability of routine in person care, limited availability of personal protective equipment, and fears about contracting COVID-19, patients and health care providers alike have turned to technology to bridge the patient’s connection to the care team. While doctors are working across virtual state lines delivering telehealth services, technology companies are carving out a niche in virtual health coaching to help individuals maintain wellness and manage chronic conditions. Will patients want to return to waiting rooms, an experience seemingly not centered around their convenience, their needs, and hygiene concerns? Will the data from our wearable devices like Fitbits and smart watches become a core part of our health journey and medical care?
4) Meeting Up For a Virtual Workout — The concept of working out at home is not new. Growing up, I recall stacks of VHS tapes in our home with workout videos from legends like Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons. Pre-pandemic, 20% of Americans had some kind of gym membership but with many gyms closing or reducing capacity, many Americans have embraced digital platforms to stay in shape from home. Whether meeting up with a fitness class and instructor on Zoom or signing on to a Peloton class simultaneously with friends, to push each other on the leader board, this adaptation has been interesting and offers some time and cost efficiencies. It is also void of the smell of the gym. In fact, it has made it possible for people living in different cities or countries to work out together. Apple recently rolled out its new Fitness+ subscription, responding to a need in the market. So, will these trends dampen the post pandemic revival of niche gym experiences like OrangeTheory? How many people will return to the gym full time or maintain a hybrid model? Can a digital group workout replace memories of the pre/post workout chatter in the locker room?
5) Remember the Movie Theaters — Even before the pandemic, between traditional cable or satellite TV and online streaming services, Americans have had access to more entertainment options at home than ever. Going to the movies has been a tradition and in many cities, nice dining amenities have been added to the movie theater experience taking it to another level. Some of the biggest movies of the year are released around Christmas bringing together families and friends for an annual outing but not this year. With many theaters closed, major movie houses are releasing movies on streaming services like HBO Max. New features will allow friends and family members to simultaneously watch new movies on services like Disney+ and react together. This probably does not replace the experience asking someone to pass the popcorn or to take their feet off of your chair. What do these new movie distribution decisions signal about the future of our movie watching experience? Will movie theaters survive for life after the pandemic or will streaming drive a permanent wedge into the market?
6) Virtual Memorials — If you are like most people, you try to plan your travel ahead of time to keep costs low. When losing a friend or loved one, often you don’t have the luxury of time to plan your trips and expensive last minute flights, hotels, and car trips are typical. Due to COVID restrictions, many funeral homes had to pivot and include new services to support families during a very difficult time. Many of us have now experienced the atypical experience of paying our respects via a virtual funeral or memorial service. While many might agree that the experience is not the same, we know the financial hardship that some face when trying to attend a funeral or memorial service far from home. Given the advances in wireless technology, is the option for virtual attendance and participation in funeral and memorial services here to stay?
7) A Trip to the Grocery Store — Over the course of a lifetime, we have developed an innate roadmap of where thousands of food items are located in our favorite local grocery stores. For some, it is a favorite pastime and good exercise walking the aisles. But, for others, it’s a dreaded trip and a self-challenge to work the usual list of items and preferred brands, and to get in and out as fast as possible. This year, avoiding COVID-19 has led to the use of in store shopping and delivery services like Instacart; simply enter or update your shopping list online and your groceries are delivered to you in a few hours. Imagine not having to walk to the back corner of the store for dairy products. Has grocery shopping changed permanently? Will we see more of these services fill the voids in communities without local grocery store assets or limited access to transportation? And can you count on someone else to select your fruit and vegetables?
8) Dirty Money — There is an old saying that “cash is king” but since the pandemic, from stores to toll booths, your contactless digital transaction has emerged as a preferred method of payment during the pandemic. Beyond the transaction fees associated with using credit cards, other implications include reports that there has not been enough spare change circulating in stores. And, we know that not everyone has access to a credit card or a bank account with a debit card. Cash is made to be durable; so will it make a comeback? How can we enable everyone to participate in the digital economy?
9) Rethinking Where to Spend the Sunset Years of our Lives — During the pandemic, older individuals have been amongst the hardest hit by the virus, experiencing higher rates of hospitalization and death. We cannot erase from our memory the outbreaks that occurred in nursing homes across our nation, taking the lives of those who were most vulnerable among us. Seniors and their families who had the ability to arrange for advanced senior care found themselves shut off from physical visits due to necessary measures to contain the spread of the virus into nursing homes. During a year when many have thought about their own mortality, looking beyond the pandemic many have reshaped their thoughts on how and where to gracefully age. How will the policies and programs of our society evolve to meet these new preferences?
10) Information Alone May Not Be Enough to Protect Our Health — Although it is widely known that steadfast wearing of masks and social distancing can greatly reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and keep us safer, the practices have been shunned and ridiculed. Too many Americans have lacked trust in the information available in this era of social media, political polarization, and dangerous spread of false information. The consequences are not just for the individual but for the community of which we are all a part. The severity of this issue is reflected in the more than 330k lives lost this year due to COVID-19 and record daily death tolls as the end of 2020 nears. At the intersection of our protected freedoms, public health measures, and self-determination is a collision of contagion, fatigue, death, and cries of government overreach. When information is not enough, how will we as Americans resolve this conflict to the benefit of all?
(Views expressed in this article are my own and not of my employer or other organizations with which I am affiliated. They also do not represent medical advice.)
