There will be major changes in society, not only due to the massive data sets to be studied, but because ideas and theories of operating that were always discarded as too hard or costly to test have been thrown to the forefront.
The easiest one is remote/telework. This is largest telework experiment in human history.
Whereas prior to this calamity, workplace norms dictated that even if there was logical cases to be made for allowing more telework, now workplaces have been forced into it. There will be a lot of data gathered on the efficacy and cost of such arrangements. And I don't think the genie will be put back in the bottle. Cost of physical real estate, impact on absentee/presentee rates (which would need to be studied in a non pandemic scenario) , productivity, emissions/commuting / parking etc etc etc.
You will be a big increase in remote service access everywhere. Consult with doctors online, grocery shop online, basically anything that reduces the 'danger' of physical proximity.
and out of it, we will end up with a society that exists in silos. As it is we have lost our sense of community.
If we create an environment where a child is home schooled..how does he make friends and how does he learn to play with others..so, how does he work in a factory to produce goods...How does he do the million and one jobs that require human interaction?
How does he socialize and therefore meet his mate..and marry, have kids, etc. Correlate the high divorce rates over the last 50-60 years with the relative isolation of our society. As churches became less popular, as social clubs, as interaction among us became less and less (dance halls, theaters, etc.), as the popularity of TV's and all sorts of PEDs soars... how do we learn to interact?
Heck look at us, on hfboards. We have no idea who the other person is..we safe guard our identities as if we are a spy network.. we bully each other, insult each other, mock, etc.....can you imagine society as a whole, looking like us!!!!
God help humanity moving forward is this becomes the new norm...Canada's negative birth rate will be even more pronounced.
I worked in a remote environment..by the end, we darn near killed each other..learned nothing, because we did not interact fully... It was the worst experience of my life. By comparison, the job before was very communal..I have patents in my name and ~ 200 million dollars worth of product sales world wide!!!!
I shudder at the world left for younger generations..cyber bullying, individualism, impersonal...it will grind to a halt. Do you see any kids playing at a park (Less mommy and daddy attached and/or with their phone in their hand). There is a price that we will pay for that too.
