I’ve been thinking quite a lot lately about both the long and short term effects of COVID-19, and, more specifically, our being asked to shelter in place for what could be months. I’m thinking about everything from the psychological implications for an entire generation of young people, to what this might mean for the future of the American workplace, as people realize that, for quite a lot of us, it’s probably not all that important that we actually travel each day in order to sit in cubicles near one another. And, last night I found myself thinking way too long about whether, when all of this is behind us, we’ll be looking at a new baby boom, or a mass exodus from relationships, as people realize that, under the strain of forced togetherness, they don’t really like one another all that much. For those of us who survive, it’s going to be absolutely fascinating to watch.
What's the likely outcome of COVID-19 to be..
— Mark Maynard (@MarkAMaynard) March 21, 2020
11 Comments
There’s certain to be friction (either way).
I’ve wondered about new relationships formed online by singletons. It’s lonesome out here!
Is there virtual Tinder? Vinder?
I’m more of a relationship person, so I don’t know! Probably! We could also use a Pandemic Matching Site for solo-isolators to find other solo-isolators for monogamous visits. Platonic or not.
A new child is the number three precursor to divorce. Illness is number one. Job change is #2.
So both/and.
We already had one covid-related killing in A2. Two roommates in a fight. Looks like self-defense. When the steel plant closed in my hometown, domestic violence and sexual violence skyrocketed– A lot of unemployed men suddenly stuck at home with economic stress. Kids came to school with broken arms and pregnant by their uncles… in middle school. And they weren’t locked in at home together. And illness wasn’t a factor. When I go home now I’m always surprised it’s at all functional, because that time dominates my idea of it. I know a lot of teachers of vulnerable kids who are worried for their safety at home. If you are privileged enough to be unfamiliar with such scenarios except on afterschool specials then count yourself lucky for the good hand you have been dealt.
Heh.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wcf5WEwX6s
Most will get pregnant and divorce.
I vote NO to an uptick in divorces or pregnancies and YES to more sex. Puzzles get boring after a few days. Just sayin’
I suggest spring cleaning instead of squabbling or humping.
I had a chat today with my ex, who’s an ER doctor. Her fellow doctors in NYC are reporting that it’s bad there. There are a lot of COVID patients, a lot of people on respirators, and not enough respirators. And there are a lot of patients 30 to 50 years old who are very sick, although she didn’t know how many of them are on respirators. So, for those of you who don’t trust the media spin, there’s some unspun news.
Hopefully EOS and HW don’t procreate. I don’t care if they divorce each other.