This is a work of fiction in the form of my journal entry set in the future. All events and situations described here are purely imaginary and any resemblance to an actual situation or event is purely coincidental.
March 21, 2025
Over the last three decades, societal changes and shifts have undergone two distinct acceleration phases. The first phase of acceleration was caused by the internet and pocket computing that ended with the smartphone becoming ubiquitous. The second phase was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The first phase empowered individuals over institutions, and the second phase further cemented that power. Along with that, the second phase solidified that power into a strangely curious mix of disconnected, siloed individuals who are also hyperconnected, and oversharing at the same time.
The metrics for individual and group performance have also changed dramatically. The world is no longer looking at efficiency and profitability as the holy grail. The focus has shifted to robustness and resilience. This isn’t to say that capitalism has been overturned or that capitalism has transformed, but surely the changes to capitalism are here to stay, and why not? After all, COVID-19 exposed every possible chink in the capitalist world order – from manufacturing, to financial systems, to healthcare.
Post the COVID-19 pandemic, I had hoped that people would develop a new appreciation for nature and the simple joys of life such as being able to have a carefree conversation without being distracted by technology, for example. And for a while after COVID-19 began, it seemed like it was actually going to happen. However, soon, life went back to the usual and it seemed as though people were not only accustomed to the isolated life, but they also began to enjoy it.
Technology continued becoming more individualised and more intrusive. So, even as technology sought to make life easier – and greatly succeeded as well – people got more and more absorbed in their own little bubbles.