The coranavirus lockdown is on. After 6 days of lockdown I have begun to realise that the coranavirus will change the way we work, rest, shop and play for ever. The reliance on working from home by being online has created new opportunities. Joe Wicks has become our PE lesson for the day. As a teacher I am checking my students work with one note and setting online work to do. Will this become a norm in the future? Probably not for me as a teacher but for others working from home it may become the new norm. It would be interesting to hear from others are they more efficient by working from home, has it be been a positive or negative experience? Can jobs be done as easily from home? I have found it difficult to separate work from home hence I have not worked over the weekend, whilst this would have been normal for me as teacher to keep up with my marking. Will we as a nation become more productive from this lockdown. In the 1970s we had a three day working week productivity increased dramatically per worker. Will we return to work feeling refreshed having developed a new range of IT skills that can be deployed boosting productivity yet further? The UK has suffered from poor productivity for years will this provide a new stimuli? I have been thinking of ways to develop opportunities for creative learning and assessment remotely.
The online platforms of Netflix and Prime have got us through many of the days. Zoom Skype, Facetime and Teams have allowed interactions to continue with friends and workplace colleagues. Today I watched my church service on YouTube and interacted with my family in a facetime call; with several members of my family simultaneously. This was very efficient for all concerned I did not have to go to church and I could squeeze my family into 30 mins whilst sitting in my lounge. It was nice to catch up with everyone and not have to drive to see them. Will the demand for online church services rise post coranavirus or will people say just stream it so I can see it wherever and whenever? I also enjoyed interacting with my colleagues on a daily emoji challenge of pop groups where we shared our guesses.
The demand for shopping has massively increased online. The supermarkets, Amazon have struggled to keep up with demand. Adam Smith would be concerned that the invisible hand has not kept pace with the demand for online shopping. To be fair the retail sector has taken on my workers and expanded supply in very trying circumstances. Will there now be even more growth in this sector and this finally kill off the high street?
Behind my house is a recreation ground. For years people have visited it but most of the time it has been it has been a place for children to play together and for people to walk through on their way to the station. Since the lockdown we have seen families playing together in the park. People walking and running taking their daily exercise. It suddenly feels like this green space has had another lease of life. There has always been talk of when the council will sell it off for housing. Perhaps now people will value green spaces once again. Perhaps this experiment will mean that we go back to valuing family time together, playing football and cricket in parks together as opposed to spending time together at home and not spending time in the fresh air together.
What this lockdown means is a different way of life for sure. Will its effects be short lived or have an impact on the way we work, rest, shop and play for years to come?
Econgreenwood 