You believe the pandemic has “lifted the veil” on the promise of our digital future. How so?
For most of the past half century, we’ve been trained to focus almost singularly on digital technology and how our lives will be shaped by it. We’ve been promised a simple, carefree digital future where we can live, work, learn and play from the comfort of our homes. Instant communication would bring us together instantly, giving us more free time. Put simply, the more we could digitize something, the better off we would be.
When the pandemic hit, almost overnight that future transformed into the present, and the reviews were very mixed. It turned out that leaving the house was highly underrated, and that instant communication often spreads anger better than joy. The news wasn’t all bad, of course. Yes, everyone who worked in an office job could fairly easily work from home and adults were able to continue their book club or bridge group online. You could even buy tickets to watch a ballet or play, because these things could quite easily be streamed.
