Before the pandemic, we were leading a predictable and routine life. But, the iconic year 2020, brings several changes in how we lead and access our activities. A severe change in travelling, attending social gatherings and in-office work appeared in the post-pandemic era.
- The post-pandemic world has seen significant lifestyle changes, including a rise in remote work and e-commerce.
- Telemedicine has become widely accepted, with 80% of people accessing consultations online.
- Electric vehicles gained popularity due to increased environmental consciousness.
- The education system evolved to hybrid models, and companies prioritized sustainability in their practices.
Post-pandemic meaning
In 2020, the whole world was suffering from an unbeatable disease covid and locked in their rooms. The post-pandemic refers to the world when people are recovering from the covid and adopting a new way of life. Several changes occurred globally and our lifestyle changed after the pandemic.
10 changes in the post-pandemic world
1. Rise of remote work
During the pandemic, several offices closed and employees got locked in their rooms. To solve this issue, a shift from in-office work to remote work happened. With the post-pandemic boom, this shift became the trend, especially for the GenZ.
Companies started to invest in remote work because it is helping them to provide a work-life balance to their employees. The rise of technologies like cloud computing, enhanced broadband technologies and meeting apps increase the relevancy of remote work in the modern world which might not have happened so fast if the pandemic had not happened.
2. Rise of e-commerce
Do you know, after the pandemic the global e-commerce market is constantly evolving? In 2018, the global e-commerce market size was around $3,433 billion and with the post-pandemic boom, in 2023 the market became around $7,945 billion. So, what do you think is why this change happened drastically?
During the lockdown period, traditional fashion and retail stores were forced to close. As a consequence, customers have no option of purchasing their daily essentials including groceries, fashion products and other daily essentials. A shift in customer buying behaviour has been found and companies also started to expand their e-commerce businesses for which the trend of e-commerce increased.
3. Telemedicine
In 2015, if anyone told you that doctors are available online and you can get easy treatments in the comfort place of your home, you might not believe it. But this became possible when the post-pandemic boom. We can take consultations from specialised doctors, access electronic prescriptions and even schedule appointments without visiting the hospital.
Teladoc, HealthTap, CISCO Systems, PlushCare etc. are the companies who have contributed to the rise the telemedicine in the world. Around 80% of people became able to access consultation through telemedicine at least once in their lives.
4. Increase in online delivery
In 2014, the online food delivery industry was in its early stage and only around 7%-10% of people in the global level were ordering food online. This drastically changes with the post-pandemic boom. In 2024, around 26.6% of people order food online globally. Around 192.5 million of Americans use online food delivery apps to order food online.
5. Faster growth of e-vehicle
Electric vehicles have already been used in developed nations like America, China, and more because of their eco-friendly nature and other benefits. However, the outbreak of pandemic gives the EVs a boost at the global level.
Every country wants to adopt the trend of EVs to achieve zero carbon emissions. People became more environmentally conscious after the pandemic and demanded green transportation. The market size was around $603.45 billion in 2022 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.68% it is estimated that it will grow $1368.08 billion by 2031.
6. Changes in education
The traditional education system also evolved with the post-pandemic boom. With the rapid advancement of digital technologies, the education system also become digitalized. Hybrid learning models have been adopted by schools and universities. Now the purpose of learning has become lifelong learning and universities are adopting different curricula to prepare the students for the current workforce demand.
7. Innovation and collaboration
Several companies from different industries started to adopt digitalization in their business model. By considering the rapid advancement of modern technologies, they are heavily investing in modern technologies including AI, IoT, cloud computing, automation, robotics technology, ML, and more. Nowadays, companies are more open to their customers because of the use of these technologies.
8. Prioritisation of sustainability
The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a significant reduction in global pollution levels, especially air and water pollution. By considering this fact, people have become more aware of pollution and become conscious regarding their activities. They started to prefer those companies that are more sustainable with their products.
For that reason, the majority of the companies adopted modern technologies to become more relatable to consumer demand. Tesla’s EVs became famous in the market because they brought revolution in sustainable transportation. Unilever and Nestle invested in sustainable alternatives to strengthen their position in the market.
9. Rise of hybrid events
Before the pandemic, we needed to plan social gatherings or meetings and be physically presence there. But guess what, the way we connect has changed. Companies started to use online platforms for meetings or gatherings.
Nowadays, major conferences, marketing and sales events, training sessions, trade shows, product launches and more are coming under hybrid events. Where people have to make attendance online and can express their ideas from online platforms like Whova, Zoom, Hopin, Microsoft Teams and more.
10. Changes in entertainment consumption
Previously we loved to go to the theatre to enjoy a movie or book a ticket for a concert. But the definition of going theatre to watch movies changed into Netflix and Chill. During the lockdown, several online streaming platforms like Netflix gained around 15 million subscribers in the first quarter of 2020.
Moreover, after the pandemic, the video gaming trend, social media consumption trend, virtual events, podcasts, audiobooks and more increased. A shift in our viewing habits happened with the boom of the post-pandemic.
Impact of changes on people
We talked about changes but it is also necessary that we should have to talk about their impact. Well, it has both positive and negative impacts.
- The evolution of digitalization allowed us to connect with people easily.
- The trend of remote work has helped us to maintain a work-life balance.
- Access to diverse content has helped us to explore our lives from different perspectives and adopt changes.
- As soon as we get a direct source of entertainment at our fingertips, our screen time increases leading to different issues of mental health and physical well-being.
- Spending a long time with video games or online streaming platforms is impacting our physical and mental health.
- We have become more addicted to consuming irrelevant content with the rise of social media leading to less productivity.
FAQ
What are the major lifestyle changes that occurred in the post-pandemic world?
A severe change in travelling, attending social gatherings and in-office work appeared in the post-pandemic era.
How has the rise of remote work affected employee productivity and work-life balance?
Companies started to invest in remote work because it is helping them to provide a work-life balance to their employees.
In what ways has e-commerce evolved since the pandemic?
During the lockdown period, traditional fashion and retail stores were forced to close. As a consequence, customers had no option of purchasing their daily essentials including groceries, fashion products and other daily essentials. A shift in customer buying behaviour has been found and companies also started to expand their e-commerce businesses for which the trend of e-commerce increased.
What is the significance of telemedicine in today’s healthcare landscape?
We can take consultations from specialised doctors, access electronic prescriptions and even schedule appointments without visiting the hospital. Around 80% of people became able to access consultation through telemedicine at least once in their lives.
How have electric vehicles gained popularity following the pandemic?
Every country wants to adopt the trend of EVs to achieve zero carbon emissions. People became more environmentally conscious after the pandemic and demanded green transportation.
What impact did the pandemic have on the traditional education system?
With the rapid advancement of digital technologies, the education system also became digitalized. Hybrid learning models have been adopted by schools and universities.
How are companies prioritizing sustainability in their business practices post-pandemic?
The majority of the companies adopted modern technologies to become more relatable to consumer demand. Tesla’s EVs became famous in the market because they brought revolution in sustainable transportation. Unilever and Nestle invested in sustainable alternatives to strengthen their position in the market.