What’s Next?

The Future Is In Our Hands

I know the future looks bleak. We are all stuck at home or inside for the inevitable future, and summer is just around the corner. Many of us have had to cancel upcoming vacations and rearrange our plans. I have a friend that had to postpone her bridal shower and another who had to decide on a backup date for her wedding. Having a fun summer was one of two things I needed to do in the upcoming months. The other was look for a job. As I am graduating in a month, (hopefully!) I needed to start looking for a full-time job yesterday. And I have. I’ve been applying for jobs for the last couple months. Unfortunately, due to everything shutting down, I have not been getting rejections, but emails saying that the job has been postponed and that I’m welcome to reapply once it opens again. It’s disheartening.

I know this is not just the case for me. Many recent graduates of undergrad and graduate school are going to have a hard time finding jobs this summer, particularly in the art sector. Companies are struggling to pay their employees, so why would they hire new ones? I know, the future looks bleak. But it’s important to remember that despite the rough upcoming months, things will be okay. We will get through this, and we will find the perfect first job. This isn’t the first time the country or even the world has dealt with something like this. I mean, look at the Black Plague! It wiped out a third of Europe, and they bounced back okay. Or even more recently, look at the 2008 Recession. Life looked bleak then, and we’ve done alright the last twelve years. It’s important to look towards the future rather than dwell on our lives now. I know it’s hard. But having hope for our futures will make us appreciate them more when the time comes.

After the Spanish Influenza in 1918-1919, people sought entertainment that led to cars and radio. Life was good for 10 years until all the carefree investments led to the Great Depression. Hopefully, life on the other side of the COVID-19 will not mimic this trend. But nonetheless, after this pandemic people will be looking for ways to relieve stress and find community among their peers. One perk, particularly for those who spend a lot of money on take-out, is that people have been forced to learn how to cook. But let’s be honest, we are all getting delivery at least once a week anyway, so eating out may make a quick comeback the minute we can sit down and eat in a restaurant again.

Parks are becoming more popular despite social distancing. People have a desperate need to get themselves and their hyper children outside, and the park is a great place to take walks and have fun while still distancing yourself from others. Museums, parks, shopping malls, etc. are likely to become popular hangout spots because they are open and accessible for all people.

After 9/11 and the 2008 financial crisis, much like during the Great Depression, Americans realized we are vulnerable to catastrophes like any other country.  Since this virus is a global crisis, this could also force people to take global matters seriously, rather than ignore it as we often do now. One possibility our world faces is that the necessary precautions we are taking now may become habits. No matter how much we are craving human interaction right now, those initial interactions will vary during the first couple months after the end of the pandemic. Shaking hands or giving someone a hug will be second guessed rather than second nature.

Depending on how long we are stuck doing everything online, it may become our default option rather than the second option. We are all at high-risk for our behaviors to become habits and they may be hard to break. We need to remember that social distancing and going online is a necessary but temporary fix.  Once this calms down, we will slowly need to readjust ourselves to being around our coworkers, classmates, and neighbors permanently again. Even as an introvert, I personally cannot wait to be able to leave my house and interact with the world once more.

This one is particularly of interest to me as I have many trips planned this summer whether it’s to a wedding or the beach. Right now, airlines are becoming more lenient with their refund policies and are granting customers refunds or vouchers when they cancel their flights, so that they can reschedule for a later date. The World Travel and Tourism Council believe that it will take around ten months for tourism and travel industries to bounce back.

Many people have cancelled their trips this summer although in the UK, people plan to reschedule them soon, while in the US people are more hesitant to reschedule right away.  Forbes Magazine interviewed David DiGregorio who steadfastly believes that the travel industry will recover as soon as people feel safe to travel again and advises people to postpone their adventures, rather than cancel. The economy and the travel industry will benefit through tourism so taking these trips later will benefit our society. Being stuck at home has given me a new appreciation for travel, and I believe that the future of travel is bright and exciting.

The future is so uncertain. Businesses are shutting down and unemployment is rising, so the economy is bound to take a hit. Economists are advising to not “panic sell or buy” stocks and consult a financial advisor. Making snap decisions based on emotions vs. logic and patience may affect the economy negatively and put more restraints on mass consumption. On a positive note, these restraints could shrink our industrial footprint and conserve wildlife in the future.

In terms of recovery, it all depends on how quickly we can curb the spread of the virus and return to normal. At most, it could take until 2023 for the United States and European economies to recover from this crisis. The goal will have to be to prevent the virus from returning after this initial wave, or at least have the vaccine readily available. However, if the virus is controlled within the next few months, the economy may be on its way to recovery by the end of the year, so fingers crossed!

Nevertheless, we must try to stay connected to the world the best way we can and work hard to curb this virus and protect our loved ones. Our sense of community and our relationships with those around us will change. There will be a renewed sense of patriotism and accomplishment once this is all over. Our nurses, doctors, retail and food service workers, grocery store workers, small business owners and employees, caregivers, and all those still working will become our countries heroes, as they should be.

Remember not to dwell on the bad and work hard to stay connected to those around you. Enjoy that extra time with family that you would not normally have when your schedule has you running ragged. Reminisce about good memories and make plans with your friends once this is all over. Do not let the stress and confusion overwhelm you and take life day by day. We are all in this together no matter how isolated we are. Just remember to stay safe, be smart, and look forwards, not backwards.

• https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/03/19/coronavirus-effect-economy-life-society-analysis-covid-135579#lifestyle
• https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/03/19/coronavirus-effect-economy-life-society-analysis-covid-135579#lifestyle
• https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/03/19/coronavirus-effect-economy-life-society-analysis-covid-135579#community
• https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-does-it-take-to-form-a-habit#base-figure
• https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/world-travel-coronavirus-covid19-jobs-pandemic-tourism-aviation/
• https://blog.globalwebindex.com/chart-of-the-week/travel-in-the-time-of-coronavirus/
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/judykoutsky/2020/04/01/whats-the-future-of-travel-industry-insider-weights-in/#2c75ad3510a9
• https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianmenickella/2020/04/08/covid-19-worldwide-the-pandemics-impact-on-the-economy-and-markets/#1f8670cb28c3
• https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/03/19/coronavirus-effect-economy-life-society-analysis-covid-135579#econ,
• https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/economic-impact-covid-19/