Designer masks, “work-from-home” apparels, uncountable pajamas as uniforms, long hours of virtual meetups – does this sound familiar to you? Well, it’s no secret that this pandemic is totally revamping the world, so much that you might wonder – is the world dealing with an identity crisis? Nobody is sure what the world is anymore!
We cannot stay oblivious to the fact that these unprecedented times have created relentless waves of anxiety, uncertainty, and fear in almost every industry in the world. Even the most popular industries like fashion, gaming, etc. are not left behind. This evolution, or should we say “revolution”, is here to stay, even in the AC (after-corona) era. Let’s discuss how COVID-19 is reshaping different industries in the world.
Table of Contents
Education’s Evolution
Like we mentioned in the beginning, we all have become too familiar with “work-from-home” attires and virtual classes that we cannot even recall the time when we used to wear uniforms or dress up before going to school or college or when we used to attend classes in a physical setup. Never knew virtual classes would become our idea of education.
Let’s not forget the online exams that take place in today’s time. Who knew that even the most important examinations would be conducted online – were we even prepared for such transformation? Well, it does not matter because we did not have any option. But now that virtual classes are in trend, people are also getting used to the idea of online examination and education in general. Owing to digitalization, we can now study from anywhere in the world. Some might argue that it is even better than studying from school or college itself. Well, for starters, you don’t have to bear the added stress of traveling or getting late for your next class.
The Fashion ‘Revolution’
Since the lockdown, various fashion stores got shut down and many small businesses got impacted. This might make you wonder – after virtual workplaces and classrooms, is it time to introduce this new normal in the fashion world too?
With the looming online sales, many fashion retailers are now switching to e-commerce. From websites to mobile apps, all online platforms are being used efficiently for every sale and purchase. Not only this, you can even have virtual showrooms to get all the “feel” of the fashion world. So, the digital indulgence of customers in the fashion world has skyrocketed in these times.
For some businesses, setting up an online brand is also an uphill battle, therefore, they are succumbing to this crisis. However, for some, it is also a blessing in disguise, where it is not just helping them to survive but also making them thrive by increasing their reach to the wider audience. Brands that were earlier procrastinating welcoming technology in their fields are now left with no choice. This is the reason many brands are now engaging and experimenting with different technologies, ultimately leading to growth even in these untoward times.
Online gaming
Remember the time when you had to find and gather your friends in order to play cards? Sure, those were the good old days but then came the better days – when you did not have to go through such hassles to play cards or any other board game – you could simply partake in online multiplayer games from any part of the world without any cards or other equipment. This pattern of consumption of online games and sports has only increased after the world got hit with the global pandemic.
Now more and more people are maintaining social distancing and preferring online gaming over offline. The lockdown was difficult for everyone, also because it came with a lot of boredom and lifestyle change. Even now when people are unable to travel much outside, online sports and games have become their best friends. Thus, the online gaming industry has experienced great growth in these times. Although online games existed before too, now their demand has spiked and people who did not have a clue about such online platforms are also experimenting and loving them.
A little bit of both
Everything comes with both pros and cons. Thus, while the virtual world has a lot of advantages, it also has its share of cons. Let us discuss them according to the industries we have discussed above –
- Education – When it comes to education, even though people are loving the comfort of studying from home, they are missing their friends and the fun that used to come with studying in offline classrooms. Thus, no matter what, online classrooms can never replace the essence of offline classes.
- Fashion – While people enjoy shopping from the comfort of their homes, also feeling safe, they surely miss the touch of a fabric, or the feel of trying new shoes, etc. Going shopping used to be a family outing for most of us, which is truly missed now that we are ordering almost everything online. The reason why offline markets never lost their essence was that they were more about “how it felt”, but with the changing times, this question has changed to “how does it look”.
- Gaming – Things are a little different in the gaming industry – while some people are still not used to technology and miss the experience of physical interaction, most people are loving the hassle-free way of playing games online. There was a time when poker in India was only known to a very few people, but thanks to its online presence, now more and more people are taking part in this skill-based game. This industry was already in its popular stage but with the lockdown when people started staying at home, it has become even more popular.
Final thoughts
The pandemic has transformed many industries lately, in fact almost all of them. Navigating this crisis will not be an easy nut to crack for many industries but with efficient strategies and more importantly, caring leaders, they will emerge stronger than ever. In fact, so many industries have discovered new ways of working and have found their virtual aspect to be even better than the offline ones.
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