The effects of COVID-19 are still ricocheting through society today. The innovative advancements on the path to discovery became an overnight necessity. In what seemed like a day, people of all ages, ethnicities, genders, and religions had to navigate a new digital way of life while in the confines of their homes.
A society already dependent on technology now functioned almost exclusively through virtual realities. Not one way of life was exempt from adapting to the new circumstances that plagued society with the outbreak of COVID-19. Education, politics, medicine, food, business, and recreation were all industries that were forced to change. This essay will focus on analyzing how COVID-19 influenced our society both positively and negatively.
For example, while the virus was widespread, disease often affects social groups disproportionally, and reaches the poor, ethnic minorities, and other disadvantaged groups first. So in order to properly manage the virus, government officials focused on improving the inequality between these social groups.
Examples include better housing for the homeless. During the pandemic, government officials prioritized transferring hotels into homeless shelters and some gave these shelters more accessible opportunities to own these buildings full-time in order for these centers to be kept long-term.
Tracy Williams, a 60-year-old woman who has cycled in and out of homelessness is quoted saying of the hotel shelters, “I think this is an awesome place. It’s just me and my roommate. I really believe that it helps with the transition [out of homelessness].”
Nevertheless, since the end of the pandemic, there has also been a move to phase out the program that housed the homeless in hotels. One example is in the District of Columbia; however, in this case, government officials have put in place alternative programs to continue to care for the homeless and provide “permanent supportive housing.” Programs, such as the Continuum of Care in D.C., offer extensive aid for those who have both temporary and permanent needs. In this way, an innovation that was required due to the pandemic continues to create positive change in our society today.
Furthermore, health care has also reevaluated how they care for their patients. As one example, Telemedicine was fully actualized during the pandemic and was a significant help for communities that do not have ready access to hospitals and other healthcare services. Telemedicine includes 24-hour access to doctors through video and phone calls. This type of virtual care has only continued to develop as a result of COVID-19 even two years after the pandemic.
However, COVID-19 has also resulted in less positive changes in society. More specifically, the pandemic put the economy in a recession that was faster and larger than the Great Recession of 2008. The rate of unemployment in the first three months of the pandemic was double the rate of unemployment that occurred during the Great Recession over two years.
Pew Research Center records that “Hispanic women, immigrants, young adults, and those less educated [were] hit hardest by COVID-19 job losses.” And while telework emerged to create more job opportunities during the pandemic, those with college degrees were 62% more likely to get these jobs compared to the 22% of high school graduates.
This unemployment rate has led to one significant conclusion: studies show more young adults in the U.S. live with their parents now than during the Great Depression. The pace moved from 47% to 52% of young Americans relocating back home. The number was raised in all ethnicities and between both genders; however, growth was sharpest for White young adults. Some people like David Ellis, a dad in Raleigh, North Carolina, think it's a “joy to have this time with our adult children.” But many other Americans view the rising rate of young adults moving in with their parents as a negative.
While the number has decreased since 2020, it has not lessened significantly. A primary reason for this high rate is that grown children take advantage of not paying rent to build savings accounts and pay off debt. Also, the Guardian did an article on how moving back in with parents is researched to improve mental health.
An article from The Atlantic, states that young people need time to get established in a career, and jobs for the younger generation are statistically lower-wage jobs. These two factors may be a big reason more young adults are taking advantage of the safety net of living at home.
In conclusion, with the outbreak of COVID-19 came a necessity to adapt. Some of these changes have created a spark of innovation that has helped bridge the gap of social inequality and create better opportunities for all people groups years later; however, there have been some unwarranted consequences as well, such as the growing rate of young adults moving in with their parents and higher unemployment rates.
As a society, we should be creating opportunities for upcoming generations to have financial independence and contribute to the community in beneficial ways. It is our job as a community to continue the momentum of what has been good, while advocating for those who still need our help.
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