Welcome To The New Normal: Quarantine Edition

What a time to be alive.

We are in uncharted territory. What would only happen in a Hollywood blockbuster film or spoken about in theory is turning into real life – a serious pandemic is disrupting our systems and redefining what it means to contribute to society.

Yes, I’m concerned, but at the same time, I’m curious. I just finished reading Andrew Yang’s book, “The War On Normal People”. He wrote about how automation is already taking away people’s jobs, and how we’re going to have to be more empathetic to others if we’re going to get through “the great displacement” (read: major unemployment).

Part of what he discussed is happening now. Hourly workers are either getting their hours cut, or getting laid off. Everyone is being forced to work from home – but what if your job can’t be done from home, or you simply lack the skill set for a knowledge work position? It goes to show that knowledge workers are the privileged, leaving those who are in the service, retail, and gig economy as the have-nots with extremely limited options.

While many of us in the US are currently on day 1 of quarantine, I wanted to throw out what I want to know once we get to the other side.

Will universal basic income finally become a thing in the US?

If you paid any attention to the Democratic debates, Andrew Yang was the UBI guy… and I’m so glad he chose that as his platform. Now we have establishment folks like Mitt floating variations of the idea around!

And it totally makes sense. $1000 per month with no string attached will be literal lifesavers for many. It will be easier for people to manage medical debt. There is so much food in this country, and it will be accessible to every living and breathing American. Relationships will improve, since lack of funds to pay for basic needs won’t be an issue. Children will grow up in a better environment. The list goes on.

How many movies/TV shows/books/documentaries will come out of this?

Since things are either postponed or cancelled, will creatives that are holed in up quarantine finally work on that thing they’ve been meaning to put together?

Well, we already have coronavirus p-rn; it’s only a matter of time before we see other SFW virus-themed stories make it to the shelves, movie theaters, and streaming devices.

More importantly – what new inventions will come out of this?

Will there be something that can be installed in a public restroom that serves as an automatic countdown timer to ensure people wash their hands for at least 20 seconds?

Can someone create an app that plays 20 seconds of a catchy song, or maybe tell a short fun fact so you can have something to listen to or learn about while hand washing? Maybe Vine will be resurrected, but will have a strict 20 second limit!

Will companies finally be more accommodating to working parents?

At the moment, I am not in a position to complain about my pre-school child missing school for three weeks as I am currently unemployed.

Still, I feel for those who have multiple children in grade school who have to not only make sure they are getting assignments done, but have to work at the same time. Extra feels and good vibes go out to those with special needs children – many are unaware of the challenges and struggles that these parents go through on a daily basis, let alone when routines are disrupted during times like these.

I wonder if companies will finally realize that it’s not the amount of hours that count, but the quality of work you produce. Also, not every person in your company can dedicate their entire being to your cause.

While work is important and can give people a purpose in life, it doesn’t have to be all-encompassing. Children, especially those with special needs, require a lot of attention – companies need to support parents who need to be there for their kids.

Will we finally realize how the US’ version of capitalism is bullshit?

Going back to Andrew Yang, his book confirmed what I was thinking all along – what the market currently values is bullshit and clearly not working.

Instead of focusing on shareholder value and profits, Yang talks about “human capitalism”, which would have more qualitative measures based on our own well-being, education, and social responsibility.

The current stock market is clearly doing us no favors, as it manages to crash every other day. Let’s make it better.

Will people’s behavior change for the better?

Not sure how true all those statistics are of people not regularly washing their hands every time they use the bathroom, but hopefully this will help people adopt higher standards of cleanliness!

Also, will people in the US finally understand why Asian people wear masks in public places, and start adopting that practice too?

Are bidets finally going to become a thing in the US (because this nonsense toilet paper panic buying is ridic)?

So there you have it… that’s just a taste of what I’ve been contemplating while my child takes a much needed nap from all the forced structure I put upon him today.

How’s your quarantine looking?