It’s true everyone is waiting to come back to normality; however, a return to how life was at the start of 2020 is some way off. The real question we have to ask ourselves is “What might change forever?”
According to Zoe Kleinman, technology reporter of BBC, we have developed a complete technological culture. We do everything from home using platforms like Whatsapp, Zoom, etc. Platforms have indeed become the only way for us to work, get fit, be educated, and entertained.
According to Emma Simpson, business correspondent of BBC, there will be a sales bounce after lockdown; nevertheless, it may be short-lived if people have been made redundant and are unable to spend. That’s why small retail firms may disappear and bigger retail firms with good financial health prosper.
The digital transformation of business will grow fast since home-officing as the new way of working is questioning the future thinking of business and people’s daily lives. Questions such as “do we need large city office space with staff relying on crowded public transport?” will be asked, according to Simon Jack, business editor of BBC. Home-working can rush history but we should take into account that businesses are so affected that they won’t be able to invest in the short and maybe long-term resulting in a lower economic growth than expected.
Trying to look at the bright side of the current situation, the coronavirus lockdown offers a sense of how a greener the world might feel, empty roads, less trash in the environment, etc. According to David Shukman, the science editor of BBC, the world can repeat history and use the fossil fuel; however, another option is for a more sustainable recovery, with policies to encourage a low-carbon future. This would determine pushes for renewable energy, public transport, and home energy efficiency. The real question here is what do we want for the new future normality?