Trends of twenty
Tags: Trends, Live, Work, 2020, Year

The year that is ending (thankfully) was challenging for many as a tiny virus wreaked havoc with lives and business and everybody was forced to re-plan, re-align and readjust. However, in addition to shaking up people’s lives, the year will probably be remembered (despite all intentions to forget it) for some trends that it set in motion. The trends of twenty that were most visible and were

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

Spaces

The use and nature of spaces that we lived and worked in changed as the home also became a workplace and had to be organized as such. Office spaces were also transformed as social distancing and sanitizing became essential.

Travel

The top travel trend of twenty was “virtual”. As the lockdowns and fear of infection made leisure or work travel difficult, travel companies offered virtual travel options wherein one gets a 360-degree view of a destination from the armchair. How far it helped or induced heartburn is debatable. For the first time in many years, the use of a personal mode of transport was encouraged by some and became a necessity to avoid being infected.

Learning

Similar to travel learning also went virtual as schools and colleges were forced to close down. This trend of twenty was troublesome for many young learners as they were forced to learn under the watchful gaze of both parents and teachers. It was a problem for teachers too as they were forced to master the technique of teaching virtually. For the first time, perhaps, the teacher and taught were facing technology challenges.

Work

The way of working changed drastically as personal interactions and water cooler conversations became impossible and the divide between workspace and home was erased. Work from home was, perhaps, the most widely discussed trend of twenty. The work attire also changed from formal to casual and finally, people could wear Bermuda and flip flops to work.

As virtual meetings became necessary video conferencing apps became must-haves and evolved to hide cobwebs in the background. Professionals were advised to don blazers and ties over Bermuda, by well-meaning web sites, to appear “suitably” dressed for the virtual meetings.

Exercise

As staying healthy became a necessity and the gyms, parks, and other open spaces, conventionally used for exercise, became inaccessible working out at home became a trend of the twenty and many websites and apps responded to the demand by offering options for a workout in small spaces and without equipment. Despite the effort, though, complaining about expanding waistlines was also a trend of the twenty.

Shopping

Online shopping went from being one of the options to being the only option and would take the cake for being a top trend. Compulsive shoppers got an excuse to wander the virtual marketplace and who could blame them for splurging on a bauble they came across while looking for essentials? With digital shopping digital payment systems also became one of the trends of twenty, forcing people to shift from cash to card.

Future gazing

Several people took up future-gazing, trying to predict everything from the duration of the pandemic to the distance that the virus could travel. Repeatedly confounded by the developments reported on a monthly or weekly basis, they persisted hoping to hit a bull’s eye at least once.

Though the year 2020 would not have much to say for itself if it was a human (at least nothing pleasant), it introduced trends that are being touted as the “ new normal” by many. However, the persistence of these trends would depend upon the way the current situation develops. The trends may continue or fade away with the virus. Most people would hope for the latter.