Covid and tech?

[Nebulous]

How have COVID shutdowns, virtual learning, and remote work changed our relationship with technology?

 

[Katrina]

I think it's forced more people to become tech savvy. I know with the Zoom meetings that there is a learning curve, especially for older people who are afraid to click on things and make changes.

 

[Shortie_]

COVID and the lockdowns have definitely changed how we use technology and how often we use technology now. I feel with COVID and the lockdowns that we had for as long as we had, it's increased how much people use the internet and even technology mainly for the basis of working or even learning from home. It's definitely a change that I feel will stay changed now and just end up being the norm.

 

[Cam]

It's completely changed the typical 8 to 5 office jobs. A lot of these major companies learned that they don't need bodies in the office five days a week, and work from home has become very common, or at least a hybrid model where you're in the office a couple times a week. It will be interesting to see how this changes our economy though. Think about that coffee shop you were stopping at on your way to work. If you aren't driving to work anymore, you're probably not stopping there now. Will that coffee shop still do enough business to stay open? Who knows.

Also, people have typically looked to be located near their work, since they're commuting there five times a week. If you're no longer worried about that commute, you may not need to live in the city. You might be willing to move a little bit further out into the country, and if you're doing that, you're no longer taking your family out for dinner at that restaurant by your apartment complex. Lots of interesting dynamics to it.