By: Emma Faircloth
The COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm in 2020. The largest impact pandemic that we’ve seen in many years.
This pandemic forced people to stay in their houses and slow down a bit. Something that seems tough in a country where humans are used to being busy and on-the-go, so the aftermath following has been outrageous.
During the height of the pandemic, we saw in influx of outdoor activities due to the fact that we couldn’t participate in our normal indoor activities. Now it seems like more people than ever out out and about traveling.
For some people, it's taking advantage of the opportunity to run errands in a city that they've lived in for years. Cars have become a little more important.
We also then saw an increase in services such as curbside pickup. This means that you’d place your order in a store. Call and someone will bring it out to you - reducing the amount of contact.
Many people would say that the pandemic has come to an end, and we see that many of these convenience services are still in use. They are very helpful for people who are still suffering consequences of the pandemic.
Services like this sticking around during a time that many are calling “post-pandemic” make you wonder. Did we become more or active or more dependent?
Sure, people are more active, but were things always this way? Are services like this giving us the means to be more "lazy?"
Did we just choose to not notice the amount of activity going on? People do seem to be more active, but is it because they actually are?
Were we just not paying attention before? The pandemic has made us more conscious about the people around us and what they're doing.
People have resumed their everyday lives. They’re out and about shopping, eating, etc.
Was the pandemic truly a wake up call for a country full of people in motion? Was it a recharge point?
It was a wake up call for us to realize that the things that we took for granted such as being around others is a luxury. Walking around a shopping center without being afraid of the person next to you - that's a luxury.
Today you’ll hardly see anyone wearing a mask or taking any cautionary restraints. We don't seem to be afraid of the person walking next to us anymore.
Should we be afraid? Viruses have always spread.
It seems as though it’s desensitized humans a bit. In a way where we care less about the person next to us.
In a world full of selfish people, we have to be cautious. You never know if the person walking next to you could have some kind of sickness - is it contagious?
Be cautious and be careful out in the world. Even if you believe that we’re living in a post pandemic world.
Maybe the tools that humans use that are seen as laziness are just precautionary tools. In the end, making use of tools is taking care of yourself.
People will always be people in motion. We can’t sit still for long.
