What does everyone think of the new normal (covid related)

[JibeMan]

It's been extremely difficult. No high school, dances, plays, sports, interacting face to face with friends for the kids. It's soul crushing when it's hurting your kids and there's nothing you can do to help them cope or change it. Oldest has only been out of the house 3 times - dentist, wisdom teeth consult, and removal. Youngest once every 5-6 weeks for braces adjustment. Me only once every two weeks for groceries. Husband almost every day cause his job is essential. Due to his massive exposure, we are doing our part by staying home.

Goodness, as others have asked, where do you live? My high-schooler has been in school everyday since early August. No major problems. School plays, sports and home-coming have been going on. My kid is happy. It’s sad the people ignore the science of schools and COVID.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Honestly I'm not surprised at the huge move to online / digital becoming so main stream. I work in the tech sector and for the last 2 years 2018 and 2019 I went to the the worlds largest tech and internet conference called The Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal.

In November 2019 one of the talks I went to was about the rise of Tik Toc and how brands and companies could use it for marketing in 2020. This was months BEFORE Covid 19 was known about.

All that the pandemic has done is accelerated the move to ecommerce for traditional bricks and mortar stores and services. The rapid shift to online would have happened slowly over the next 6 years but due to the pandemic the shift happened in 6 months.

Those of us who work or have an interest in the tech world, ecommerce, online advertising, digital marketing, coding and web development, data analytics etc etc were already preparing for this huge reliance on the internet for day to day life.

 

[wilbret]

snow days will be more based on severity of storm some areas loose power really easily in snow storms

Yep. We shut down for the hurricane and they tried remote learning, but had so many internet issues and power outages, day 2 was just a day off.

 

[wilbret]

We resumed normal-ish life in April, and normal life in May. Thankful for our Governor.

 

[mrs. magoo]

I absolutely abhor online teaching. I want nothing more than to be back in the building teaching my kids. I would take hybrid at this time but I am looking at online until at least the end of January. I have 6 years until retirement and I better be back in a classroom by next fall. I also want to be able to just go to a store and not think about it. I want my college kids to have some kind of a normal experience at school. I really want my kid to be able to play his sports and go to school full time. Here in NY he has not been able to play football and now basketball is postponed and who knows what will happen with Lacrosse in the spring. He is a senior and this sucks so much for him.

 

[Wendy1985]

I am thankfully at the age that I can embrace the changes but I feel bad for those lossing out on stuff that cant realy be postpone

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

That’s been my experience as well, but this place made it a point to tell us as they seated us that the only me u was with the QR code and the only payment option was through the phone. My guess is they’ll probably stay this way, too. Even though the server brought our food and checked on us, it felt much less personal.

Well I can certainty understand not wanting to eat there. I'm all about options to be available so I don't mind QR codes, pay by phone (although we don't use apple or samsung pay), pay by the machine on the table (like at Chili's or whatever) but in addition to those have the more traditional options too please.

I do feel for the businesses having to absorb the costs of all these one-time use menus (though some don't have them and we assume they clean them; we just use hand sanitizer anyways) but still there are so many people who just couldn't use QR codes or pay by phone that is seems unfair to just up and not allow other ways to see the menu and pay.

 

[kdonnel]

My in laws moved into the basement just over a year ago. Turned out to be perfect timing as we were able to care for them during the early stages of the pandemic so much easier due to their close proximity.

In that year I have seen a big decline in their ability to navigate the increasingly digital world. While my father-in-law understands QR codes and mobile ordering, my mother-in-law would just stop going out. She appears to be unable to learn because she is unwilling.

Several months ago they started venturing out again with their similar aged friends, mid 70's to late 80's. If it was not for my father-in-law being better able to navigate the digital world there would have been many restaurants the group would have no longer visited.

I have been thrust into a tech support role for many of my in laws friends as their children are far away or they never had children. You haven't lived until you help an 85 year old log into their online bank. Something that is so simple to me is an almost impossible task. But their options are limited as banks here continue to have closed lobbies or very limited appointment based entry.

At the beginning of the pandemic I started a thread asking if this would hasten the demise of cash and the majority said no way. Nine months into the pandemic and cash seems to be taking a beating.

 

[GreatLakes]

We don't know what the new normal is yet. What we do for the next few months or years is not the new normal, it is the current temporary. The new normal are things that stick around with us long after Covid is a pandemic though as a strain I think it will be here long term. I think overall we will see a a good "new normal".

Things I think (and hope) will stick around are:

• An increased focus on overall health. People with good metabolic health will fare better against any virus.
• I also think there will be way more remote work. I have staff that can work without coming into the office ever and while they may choose to come in some days they can work from home as they want. It also opens up our talent pool. If the most qualified candidate is 10 hours away it no longer matters.
• There will be a lot less use for commercial office space. We are going to sell one of our buildings and lesson our foot print and many other companies will do the same. I'm hoping many are torn down and turned into public green space since there will be way more supply than demand.
• Wearing of masks during flu season won't be at the current levels but culturally I think we will have more mask usage in general going forward.
• Movies will be available for home viewing either at the same release time as theaters or shortly after. Requiring the viewing of new movies in a theater is an outdated model. There will still be theaters as there will be people that choose to see the movies in that manner but the industry will change. Many in the industry have wanted this for a long time including Disney.
• Increased outdoor recreation. I am really hopeful people that didn't get outdoors previously and were forced outside this year stay hiking, running, camping, biking, walking, or whatever they were doing. I firmly believe immersing yourself in nature is good for everyone's overall health.
• Less business travel. Many in person meetings can be done remotely with just as much effectiveness, less cost, and way less environmental damage.
• Virtual components of in person events. This was already on the uptick but I think we will see the option to participate in races and other events virtually along with in person.
• Virtual concerts. I don't think for a minutes there will be less in-person concerts but I think performers have learned they can also do virtual performances for fans that either can't get to venues or prefer to see them perform at home. Jimmy Buffet and others have long made their live concerts available and I think that will continue to grow.

Things that are only temporary or will change dramatically once we get to the later half of 2021 or 2022:

• Fully online learning. Some classes are just as easy online as in a classroom. Not a single one of my MBA classes was all that different online but that isn't true of labs or for younger kids. While I think there will be some changes to education kids will be back in classrooms, having dances, and so on.
• Any capacity limits at indoor venues.
• Fully digital menus and payment though I do think some establishments will do their best to keep everything as digital as possible to cut unnecessary costs.
• Lack of leisure travel. There will actually be an increase in my opinion as there will be pent up demand.
• Business Conferences. I think there is benefit to in-person industry and vendor conferences and that they will resume. In some ways the less unnecessary business travel will make these conferences more necessary.
• Professional and amateur sports in person. Stadiums will be filled again and big city events will happen again. That goes for concerts too.

 

[hsmamato2]

New Normal.... it is what it is. There are actually some things I've been enjoying..... (don flameproof suit now) Zoom meeting vs. going out for necessary meetings.... that's one for me. I like being home in comfy clothes...
now that said, I'm sad bc in person in house meetups aren't going to happen. In summer I met up with a few friends here and there outdoors...lots of picnics,teatime,hikes/walks etc to see my friends.(talk therapy) All done with masks etc if needed etc etc. Now it's cold. My "old" life included a weekly card game with my friends around a table with a shared dinner. No longer,and we all miss it. Last night our card group had a zoom party, we played an online game, laughed and ate dinner 'together'. It wasn't the same, but it's the best we've got right now. I miss that.

 

[disneychrista]

Good thing they told you about payment upfront. For those of us that don't do that, it would mean having to get up and go somewhere else. Heaven forbid getting to the end of the meal and having the bill arrive only to find oneself in the lurch.

Wonder what they would do for someone who has a flip phone and no way of viewing or paying on a phone. Or someone who only has cash, no bank account, no credit cards, no way to pay on their phone.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Wonder what they would do for someone who has a flip phone and no way of viewing or paying on a phone. Or someone who only has cash, no bank account, no credit cards, no way to pay on their phone.

sorry to be harsh, they you will miss out. Tech and the online digital world is the now, not the future. All of this was on the way, but the pandemic just accelerated it. You move with the flow or get left behind. Business right now are in survival mode and the customers they care about are the ones who embrace the technology.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Well, Fauci announced that everything will be back to normal by April. No more doom and gloom.

 

[GreatLakes]

Wonder what they would do for someone who has a flip phone and no way of viewing or paying on a phone. Or someone who only has cash, no bank account, no credit cards, no way to pay on their phone.

In the short term probably just take the cash but we are approaching a time where you will see more and more cashless businesses.

 

[disneychrista]

Business right now are in survival mode and the customers they care about are the ones who embrace the technology.

But wouldn’t part of that survival be to not eliminate potential customers? If a business is struggling they should be doing things to encourage more sales not eliminating them.

 

[BadPinkTink]

In the short term probably just take the cash but we are approaching a time where you will see more and more cashless businesses.

Agree. One of my clients a traditional bricks and mortar company who have been in business and in the same building since the 1970's have gone 100% cashless. To pay you need a mobile phone which can access the internet as they send you an online payment link. No smart phone, no bank account, no bank cards, then sorry, you can't get their products.

 

[BadPinkTink]

But wouldn’t part of that survival be to not eliminate potential customers? If a business is struggling they should be doing things to encourage more sales not eliminating them.

not necessarily. Business are looking to the future. Alot of this new technology is cutting operational costs and overheads. People like you are in the minority, Business don't generate revenue from the minority.

 

[disneychrista]

not necessarily. Business are looking to the future. Alot of this new technology is cutting operational costs and overheads. People like you are in the minority, Business don't generate revenue from the minority.

If this is the future they should invest in tech that allows those without these abilities access. I’m fine with moving away from wasteful paper menus, self service kiosks, etc. But not when they eliminate access.

 

[rigs32]

When you consider the germs that can be spread on cash and coins, it's no surprise to me that businesses are encouraging card payments. I like when they hold the card reader out to me so no one else needs to handle my card.

 

[RamblingMad]

It’s all good. I’m super bored being at home so much. I’ve saved a lot of money this year. There isn’t really that much that I want. I usually spend my money on travel.

The tech stuff I’m cool with. We use Zoom for our book clubs. I use it for work. It’s not rocket science.