The year 2020 is a difficult one, the pandemic is an event that has shaken this world’s reality upside down. COVID-19 has affected not just physical health but has torn down the economy, mental health and the principle of human interaction.
Expecting things to go back to how it was in 2019 is not realistic, instead we need to focus on adapting to the new normal. This is a necessary change, where unless we adapt, we may become irrelevant.
Large parts of the global population are living under restrictions or isolation. We are learning different ways to work, study, socialize, shop, worship and collaborate. And we are doing all of this though the digital world. The biggest difference between the past recession/pandemics, to now is connectivity. The role of digital connectivity in our lives has grown over recent years, but we have never been this critically aware of how much we depend on it. We depend on the ability to connect across regions to get the updates on the news, health guidance, services, adapting supply chains, source equipment and share expertise to find solutions.
And the innovation and adoption of Digital Connectivity is how we are going to survive this new normal! The increased demands of services like video calling, online entertainment and delivery services is here to stay.
Online shopping: People moving from offline shopping to the online purchase are going to build an interesting fast paced, dynamic, and price-transparent market. I believe that the balance between e-commerce and mortar will remain forever changed. The change is not just limited to where we shop but also payments will become contact-less and people will prefer to buy online and pick up offline service instead of the traditional method of browsing at the mall. People’s concern about retail space cleanliness and hygiene is likely to play on the minds for a good time. The physical stores will reopen but the interaction will never be the same.
Online Workspace: This pandemic has been an effective case study of the work from home methodology. This has resulted into realizing work life balance, flexibility and in some cases increased productivity. This trend of work from home is likely to continue in the post COVID-19 world as people maintain social distancing. redefining how we interact and work applications like Zoom and Google Meet have been few of the applications which have made this interaction possible.
Online Entertainment: Instead of getting out of the house, people will tend to entertain themselves through online channels. Increase in online streaming services live Netflix, Prime or Disney+ will continue as it not only provides you with a large number of content but also it’s at your convenience. Instead of outdoor fitness activities like going to a gym, people fearing the transmission, will prefer to do an online workout. The ability to connect with the remote trainer and get access to the latest content for digital entertainment, may result into a strong intent to continue this trend post lock-down.