Will Covid-19 lifestyle changes stick after quarantine ends?
After a year of isolation, though, people who grew used to the calm, solitary environment of quarantine will soon have to face a reopened and once again bustling society.
May 4, 2020
One positive effect of the coronavirus quarantine is that more families have been spending time with each other by walking around their neighborhoods. But will people stick with it after the quarantine ends?
That will be an interesting question as social restrictions are lifted. Everyone has had to change many aspects of their lives during this health crisis, yet it is unclear how many of those changes will become permanent parts of people’s lives.
As for those family walks, they could end up like those New Year’s resolutions to exercise more, which few people manage to maintain longer than a few weeks. But some people may stick with them as a good way to get outside with loved ones.
Another change has been the increase in screen time. Since many kids have not been able to do most things that usually entertain them, like hanging out with friends, they have turned to social media and binge-worthy TV shows. The switch to online school for students also has increased their time sitting in front of screens.
It’s been easy for parents to overlook their kids’ time on their phones and other devices right now because there is not much else to keep people entertained while sitting at home all day. But when the world begins returning to normal, will kids continue to be sucked into their screens, avoiding in-person interactions and activities?
Netflix and streaming services have seen big gains in their industries. Could this affect future movie theater attendance? People may resume seeing their movies in theaters for the most part, but the accessibility to watch movies from home may trump the movie theater experience.
Another change during Covid-19 has been the amount of cooking people have started to do. More families have been cooking more meals at home as opposed to eating out, saving money in the process. If that trend holds after restrictions are lifted, it would be good for people’s savings accounts, but not for restaurant owners.
These and other changes to everyone’s daily lives during Covid-19 could become permanent parts of people’s daily routines. Or perhaps they will fade away as people’s “normal” lives return, and just become memories of this strange time.
