I believe that this pandemic is an opportunity to press the reset button in almost every aspect of our society. The pandemic is exposing the quality of governance and scale of inequalities in our global cities (Foreign Policy, 2020) Many people finally realized that we live in a crippling society with a broken system and see that we need a change.
People will begin to enjoy the little things in life a lot more. We see now that we can’t take anything from granted, from sitting in a lecture hall at school to hugging someone goodbye. People will spend more time with their families, rather than only focusing on the fast-paced lifestyle with school, work, or their next post on social media. Simple things like sitting in a coffee shop, going shopping with your mom, and being able to go outside without a mask on will be appreciated more than ever before. We will spend more time outside, now knowing the difference between voluntarily locking ourselves in our rooms and mandatory quarantine. We’ll go on more walks, knowing that it’s not just a “mom thing”, and realize how fun and relaxing they can be.
As for health, I think people will start to take better care of themselves, like washing their hands more often and eating healthier. Among the top findings: 85 percent of people reported washing their hands or using sanitizer more often than before (Discover, 2020). After this is all over, I don’t believe this statistic will change because people are focusing on their health more than ever before. We will disinfect our kitchen surfaces more often, double wash our fruits and vegetables, and will carry around hand sanitizer like we carry around Chapstick. As a society, we will take better care of health care professionals and protect them so they can continue taking care of us as a country. Our healthcare system will be valued and hopefully funded more as well. What was once an underfunded, understaffed area of health departments will become more robust. We will develop best practices for protecting population health in cities, which will help keep urban environments attractive (Foreign Policy, 2020). The overall response pertaining to the overall health of the country will be respected and will focus on the healthcare of the people who need it the most.
Workwise, unfortunately, I believe that I lot of people are going to stay unemployed. This could lead to a cultural shift, corporate headquarters may become a status symbol for the companies that still have the budget and a workforce big enough to warrant pricey real estate in a major city (CNBC, 2020). Companies are going to realize they don’t need as many employees as they did before. On the bright side, however, I think those that are able to go back to work will have a choice to work in the office or from home. Companies realize that they don’t need everyone physically in the office and that it might even be safer to limit the number of people in the office at the same time. This could be beneficial to a lot of people, such as young parents who can’t afford to send their kids to daycare every day, and for people who feel uncomfortable in their work environment. The number of meetings held will most likely decrease, now that we know a simple email or quick zoom session can get the information needed out to all employees. From the quick shift of in-person meetings to online meetings, we know that meeting in person isn’t always necessary.
This time can be looked at as a time of reflection for not only individuals but for the country as a whole. If we look back in time, The global flu epidemic of 1918 helped create national health services in many European countries. The twinned crises of the Great Depression and the second world war set the stage for the modern welfare state (The Guardian, 2020). Although this an extremely rough time for many people across the world, I think it’s best for people to think about how this is going to change our lives around in the future for the better, rather than look at the hardships we are dealing with now.
References
Courtney Connley,Abigail Hess,Jennifer Liu. (2020, April 30). 13 ways the coronavirus pandemic could forever change the way we work. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/29/how-the-coronavirus-pandemic-will-impact-the-future-of-work.html
Peter C Baker. (2020, April 20). ‘We can’t go back to normal’: How will coronavirus change the world? the Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/31/how-will-the-world-emerge-from-the-coronavirus-crisis
Richard Florida, Edward Glaeser, Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Thomas J. Campanella, Chan Heng Chee, Dan Doctoroff, Bruce Katz, Rebecca Katz, Joel Kotkin, Robert Muggah, Janette Sadik-Khan. (2020, May 1). How life in our cities will look after the coronavirus pandemic. Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/05/01/future-of-cities-urban-life-after-coronavirus-pandemic/
Svoboda, E. (2020, April 17). How the COVID-19 pandemic will change the way we live. Discover Magazine. https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/how-the-covid-19-pandemic-will-change-the-way-we-live
English 110 Spring 2020 10:10-11:00 
This was exactly the blog I needed to hear right now. In a time of such chaos and heartbreak for many, it’s hard to stay positive, but there is good to be found in this situation. In the sense of “enjoying the little things more,” I think we needed this pandemic. Although I’ve struggled the past couple weeks from time to time, I’ve been so grateful to get to spend more time with my family, start some new hobbies, spend more time outside, and honestly just having a second to sit back and reflect on how I’m doing. In terms of health, I agree we’re going to be more cautious and hey, our earth’s atmosphere is getting healthier too. When it comes to work, a lot of the population is suffering, but you remind us there are benefits to come in the future. Although it might take a while to mend our economy, this circumstance will most likely introduce many more options for remote working which will also help individuals with disabilities or health conditions to work a job they otherwise never could have before. Your focus on the positive and bettering the future is very mature and moving. I agree with you completely that there is no use dwelling on what we can’t change, and that we should shift our perspective to getting all that we can out of the present situation.
Thanks for the read! I hope you’re doing well.
Emma Charles
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Colleen, the insight you have is impressive and I can tell you put a lot of thought into this piece. I agree with everything you’ve written and I am hoping that this sheds light on the major problems in the U.S. and the world. Our appreciation for the little things only continues to grow and quarantine drags on. Your last line is my favorite, “I think it’s best for people to think about how this is going to change our lives around in the future for the better, rather than look at the hardships we are dealing with now.” If only everyone could see this as an opportunity instead of a burden. I hope you’re staying safe and healthy!
Jamie
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Colleen, your arguments for your suspected changes for the future are well-crafted and engaging. We have matching views on what the future holds for us, but the important thing is that we come back stronger, using this as a key learning experience. I like how you use the term “respect” in relation to people’s views on hygiene. After seeing how a pandemic can destroy the nation I agree that people may think twice before they skip washing their hands. I especially appreciate how you used your tone throughout this piece, starting with lines like, “Many people finally realized that we live in a crippling society with a broken system and see that we need a change”, and ending on positive, yet realistic notes such as your last line, which encapsulates my feelings on the pandemic perfectly. Good job and hang in there!
– Ellie Pellecchia
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Hey Colleen!! Your piece was put together very well and your point was super clear. Your arguments for what you believe will change in the future were well crafted and honestly probably true. When it comes to health I too believe that so many views were changed as a result of the pandemic. Many people take it ten times more serious than ever before. People who Never saw things like hand sanitizer as a household necessity own 3-5 bottles and are searching for more since now its a hot commodity. I thought it was funny that you compared hand sanitizer to chapstick since honestly I take my chapstick everywhere and when I forget it its like the world is ending. Overall I thought your arguments were very strong and you chose good sources and quotes to back them up. Hope all is well and everyone is safe and healthy!! (Eleni LeClair)
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