The NEXT NORMAL for the daily life
As most people are being forced to stay inside, work from home and only leave their houses for essential tasks, Covid-19 caused some new trends.
On the one hand, the crisis makes people go back to basics
Back to Basics
We see a deceleration of the tendency of the rural population to flee to urban centers, a trend that is reinforced by the possibility of the home office. Families want to move to the outskirts of cities (so-called “donut-effect”), where they can own a piece of land to create their own vegetable garden. The outskirts of large cities will increasingly become the centers where people really live, the new centers of urbanization. The challenge today is to transform these old “sleeping cities” of the lower and lower middle classes into urban centers with quality of life for the middle class.
On the other hand, we see a boost of technology. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is said to be the most powerful technology that human beings have created in history.
According to the experts, it will have even more impact on our life than the internet.
Boost of Technology
Homeschool
- The new challenge for parents of learning how to teach and occupy the kids at home.
- Homeschooling does not replace traditional teaching. The exchange between the children and the teachers are still very important. But homeschooling can be complementary. Especially in high school where an asynchronized transmission of information can allow a more efficient time management for teachers and students. Lessons can be recorded and made available online.
- New daily structures and routines: People work at least part-time at home. Learning to have kids during the day at home.
- Being at home became more important and got more value.
New domesticity
- More TV streaming services and Virtual Reality entertainment are used instead of cinemas.
- Grow your own food in your own garden plot, sometimes even in a pot on a balcony.
- Changed eating habits: More food delivery services. More home-cooked meals.
- Increasing replacement of animal with plant food.
Examples: Notco, https://notco.com/us/ (raised in 2020 150 M€ Investment); Impossible Foods, https://impossiblefoods.com/ - More online shopping
- Destressing of daily routines
New social life
- Social life went from FOMO (Fear of missing out) to JOMO (Joy of missing out) > giving more importance to the family life.
- Less long distance travelling for the family vacations.
- Less weekend city breaks for couples, but more near distance short time-breaks instead of long holidays.
- More virtual visual communication with family and friends.
How are we going to socialize in the future. 4 models (cf. GDI)
- Physically: Café and Restaurant, Conference, Fairs, Concert, Theater, Sports …
- Digital: Smartphone, Videocalls, Live Streaming, Webinars, Multi-Player-Game on TV
- Hybrid: Presence with one group, digital with the other.
- Virtual: Representation through AI with own voice but visual presence of an avatar/digital twin, VR-Parties with VR-screen headset, VR In-games with VR sensor suits. Holograms with virtual presence of other people e.g. for meetings, debates or concerts, etc.
- Personal protection: Plexiglass barriers, hand disinfection. Thermal cameras at the shop entrance.
- Contactless transactions (e.g., payments) and so-called “untouch points” like doorknobs, every step of toilet use, motion detector, faucet, switches–biometric touchpoints as new connecting tools.
Self care
- Return to single use packaging, plastic dishes (> “plastic is back”)
- Enhanced importance of automation (AI, robotics), voice activation etc. Robots are immune to viruses.
- Wellness and fitness apps. Workouts with online instructions. Meditation, mindfulness & more
- Get creative: Restarting hobbies, doing artworks, learning new skills > Self-actualization
Will handshaking and kisses one day come back to our life?
