Fisher, M. (2020). What will our new normal feel like? Hints are beginning to emerge. The New York Times. Web.
The article by Fisher (2020) focuses on demonstrating the potential consequences of social life after the COVID-19 pandemic ends and massive restrictions and quarantines are lifted. The author compares examples from history with the current epidemic and notes that global practice proves people’s ability to adapt to new living conditions, including those that appeared during their life in isolation (Fisher, 2020). Different perspectives are considered in relation to the industries of public service, tourism, and other sectors that have been particularly affected by the pandemic. Fisher (2020) draws attention to the impossibility of returning to life before the epidemic that seized the world in the same regime as it was before because entrenched social habits are essential constraints. Fear of new infections and anxiety for one’s and loved ones’ health are regarded as the main factors that determine the subsequent way of life of people in different countries. Acceptance is a basic feature that explains adaptation and resilience to such constraints. Subconscious survival instincts will influence social communication, and despite the improvement in the situation, the world is unlikely to remain the same.
The global crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed people’s understanding of safety. Fisher (2020) cites the example of the siege in Sarajevo in the 1990s, when people were isolated for almost four years, and notes the similarity of the modern epidemic to the Bosnians’ way of life. Another important observation is the inability to return to a past lifestyle due to the changed views on the importance of constraints. As Fisher (2020) notes, the cancellations of many mass events have proven that the value of human life is the highest, and people themselves are unlikely to endanger themselves or loved ones. The changes are supposed to affect not only people’s thinking but also the official regulations and conditions of control over various social sectors. According to Fisher (2020), constant observation will be maintained, and health parameters will be monitored continuously to avoid a repeat of the pandemic in the future. Finally, resilience will be developed, which is one of the significant factors of socialization. Adopting a new lifestyle is inevitable, and the best way to achieve this is through adaptation to a new safety mode.
The choice of the article under consideration is due to the relevance of the proposed topic and the fact that COVID-19 has already affected almost every inhabitant of the planet to a certain extent. With regard to sociology as a discipline, Fisher’s (2020) article reveals the features of interpersonal interaction from the perspective of changed traditional norms of communication under the influence of external factors, in particular, the pandemic. Today, tens of millions of people have already been ill with the new coronavirus, but the danger remains, and for any person, the assessment of the consequences is relevant so that to protect one’s health.
The facts and reasoning presented are valuable in the context of the current pandemic stress. I support the proposed views on the transformed principles of social interaction and the preservation of specific aspects of the new way of life in the future. The analysis of adaptive characteristics can help find valuable advice on the importance of adopting changes and the role of self-regulation in keeping oneself and loved ones healthy. The article is not outdated, and the idea of rooting individual constraints in society is logical.
Reference
Fisher, M. (2020). What will our new normal feel like? Hints are beginning to emerge. The New York Times. Web.