I’ve been thinking about all the secondary impacts that we may see from this new time we find ourselves in. Already, some are coming to light.
Video Conferencing – Zoom made a good business decision to give away time on its platform, but it has had privacy consequences for them. However, they have also positioned themselves as the household name for video conferencing especially with a younger set of people as they have been the choice for teachers and education since the price is right.
To go along with this video conferencing topic could we see more acceptance of the working from home or remote working arrangement? I know that it differs from leader to leader, as to if they are accepting of this arrangement or not. It also differs from person to person. Some like to go into the office, some just like the flexibility and some don’t want to go in at all. Of course, there are people who will take advantage of this newfound flexibility, but that happens everywhere for everything.
Air pollution – With traffic declining so much there has been a noticeable difference in the air quality. We have seen many pictures of this already on social media.
Does air pollution really matter to society? Will things change now that we know if we stop driving we will see a measurable and visible clearing of the skies? Will electric vehicles gain popularity even faster than they have been?
Indoor fitness – This one is especially close to my heart as I am an avid Zwifter. Zwift has seen a huge explosion in signups. Even only a fraction of these new members continues it will mean great gains for this business. Not to mention the potentially better recognition of esports since so many events, including the Olympics, has been pushed back. All these athletes need to stay in shape, so they are turning to online alternatives.
Food – It’s been difficult to buy certain things at the grocery stores and services like Instracart and Amazon Fresh are having difficulty keeping up with the demand to deliver food to those who can afford not to venture out. Which is another topic entirely, the divide as it’s called is very visible in those getting sick and those able to stay at home and get deliveries.
We have been trying new products that don’t normally appear in the grocery isles at our go-to markets, because now everything that Amazon has is available. Some of those reviews of new food are appearing here.
Will people turn towards vegan foods more? From what we currently understand this outbreak occurred from a food market where dead animals where kept in unsanitary conditions. An article on VegNews stated that there is renewed interest in egg alternatives now.
There are many more here and I may add to this post as time goes on. Stay healthy out there!