Since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in the first quarter of 2020, the United States society has undergone economic and cultural changes that will outlast the pandemic. The declaration of a pandemic changed how people work, attend school, seek entertainment, and interact with each other. In particular, the American and most Western societies were previously characterized by a culture of casual hugging that was reversed due to COVID-19. For a long time, social hugging was ubiquitous to many people in the United States, and no one questioned its intent or consequences. With COVID-19 rules on social distancing effectively in place for more than two years now, fewer people engage in hugging now. The once harmless act of hugging a loved one is now questioned due to the risk that one could contract COVID-19. Further, the closure of cinemas across the US and mass adoption of streaming services may impact the outdoor big screen culture in the US. Besides these changes, COVID-19 has also impacted the economy and education in the United States.
Broadly, COVID-19 led to an accelerated transition to a digital economy in the United States. With this transition, some traditional practices, such as going to work in an office, were rapidly dropped during the pandemic and have been adopted by most organizational cultures. Now, companies offer their employees flexible schedules that entail working remotely. Additionally, colleges and other institutions of higher learning introduced more online courses. Although remote learning existed before the pandemic, its scale and scope expanded because of the pandemic. These developments in how people work and how students gain knowledge have usurped the traditional and cultural work and school environment that existed before the pandemic. Due to the closure of most restaurants during the pandemic, the number of restaurants offering fast takeaway food and doing deliveries increased. This shift in eating habits is likely to affect the dining culture and the economy of the United States for the foreseeable culture.