Besides respiratory infections and potentially serious complications, COVID-19 also very kindly bestowed some difficult existential questions upon us. Plagued with a stark reminder of our mortality, we thought about what we sought out in life and whether our societies are happy, equitable, or even functional. Do we want to continue working for most of our days at jobs we may not necessarily love? How much of our time, labour, and sanity should we sacrifice in exchange for material things that keep us alive?
We saw plenty of systemic inequity and injustices come to light when COVID-19 struck. As billionaires accumulated more wealth in the bull market, low-wage employees jeopardised their health and safety working. People without a decent social safety net struggled to access healthcare, and even if they did, they may encounter personnel who had an equally difficult time coping with immense workloads and far too many COVID-related deaths. Movements such as anti-work struck a chord with those disillusioned with existing socioeconomic systems. Even if we regain some semblance of normalcy – travelling, working in offices, attending parties and concerts – something in the air feels different.
The pandemic urged us to rethink how we ought to live and improve our quality of life. For instance, a study to measure the impact of a four-day work week is underway in the UK. If there are positive results, such as higher employee retention and less burnout, more societies may implement the four-day work week or some form of reduction in working hours. This outcome is not guaranteed, but we should remember that the five-day work week was pretty recent too; a product of labour advocacy in the early 19th century. After all, future social norms result from our present actions.
It’s not time to party yet as we head into the Roaring 2020s. Parties are celebrations of our milieu but I don’t think we’ll have much room for them. Instead, there might be a few anti-parties critical of our societies and economic systems. These anti-parties will disconcert us because progress challenges the status quo and so isn’t always palatable. Settle into your uncomfortable seats and prepare for a bumpy ride. Let’s hope our collective weight will smooth out those potholes.
