Virtual Life

We have all changed our modus operandi in the last year. Many of the tasks of our daily lives have gone virtual. The question is: will we go back once the pandemic is over?

Take shopping, for example. Now that you are used to click, purchase, delivery to your doorstep, will you go back to driving long distances to amble through malls or find that specialty goods store across town? Given that most people have busy schedules, isn’t it more likely that things will stay the same?

What about exercise? Many people have got down on the living room floor with their yoga mats in very little clothing or danced around their living room without inhibition this past year. Will you go back to the trouble of dressing up in cute, expensive spandex gear, shaving your legs and armpits and driving to the gym?

We have all been virtually entertained by videoclips of concerts, museum tours and world events. The greatest part is that we can pause or leave any time we want and it’s our decision. We are not letting our party down if we don’t like the show. We can be totally selfish with indulging our own unique tastes guilt-free. Will you pay for expensive concert or theatre tickets when the same content is available online for free?

I have taken several online workshops during Covid and they were all dynamic, interactive and self-paced. I enjoyed being able to sit in my pyjamas with my coffee for the sessions with as many interruptions to pee as I liked. I could follow instructors from across the planet in an instant. So, will I drive to a college or university and sit in a much more uncomfortable chair to find the same content?

And are relationships just easier this way too? Many people have said that online dating is sheer hell, but would you rather get cleaned up nicely and drive across town to sit in a coffee shop with a total stranger, just to find out that you’re incompatible? You can already use facetime to chat, hear their voice, and “get their vibe” with the freedom to end it in three minutes if you already know it’s not working.

So, I’m wondering which face-to-face activities you are really missing? Please share your thoughts.