Amid the spread of the Covid19 virus, and in light of the operationalisation of preventive measures and decisions intended to address the impacts of the pandemic, we are beginning to notice some meaningful changes in human behaviour at various levels, in meal and sleep times, consumption patterns, cultural activities, learning and practicing new skills, and in religious rituals.
Perhaps the change brought about by the pandemic that affects human behaviour is mainly due to the use of the Internet and the increased use of social media platforms. Nearly six billion people around the world use the Internet and spend a considerable amount of their time in virtual spaces. Since the outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic, there has been a noticeable increase in the use of social media platforms.
The conversations that take place in these virtual social spaces are quite different from the conversations that occur in the traditional media (TV and radio broadcasts or the press.). The spread of this form of communication between humans, in terms of geographical, social and cultural belonging, and the exchange of information among them, in comparison to the information provided by the official media platforms, have led to a rapid change in behaviour. This has, in turn, paved the way for talking about the
emergence of a new human being, or a post-pandemic human being. No doubt, the appearance of new behaviours in large segments of the global population will lead to the emergence of new rules of the game in various fields, including politics, economics, society and culture.
All things considered, the decisive factor that will govern the rules of the game will probably lie in the type of measures that have been taken in response to the pandemic. And so, the measures that will emerge in the future to deal with the effects of the pandemic will indeed reduce the cost of losses.
The countries that have relied on piecemeal solutions without considering the future that awaits humanity after the Covid19 pandemic will undoubtedly see many more crises. No one can imagine today how dangerous they will be.
The post-pandemic future could prompt some great powers, such as the US, the UK and others, to fabricate a crisis with China, so as to negotiate with Beijing from a position of power—or at least one of equality—over their economic and social interests, which will collapse after the pandemic.
The severity of the post-pandemic impacts will vary from country to country. The cost of the Covid19 crisis for East Asia in general and China in particular will be lower than in other countries, whose economies and social, political and cultural structures will pay a terrible price after the end of the pandemic.
In the case of Third World countries, such as those in Africa, South America and other parts of Asia, the Covid19 pandemic will be a priceless opportunity to consolidate their independence from the West, and to reconsider the relationship of their governments with their peoples.
However, if these countries keep on following the same way of doing things, their losses will be more severe than they were during the colonial era.
Certainly no one anticipated the opportunity presented by nature today with the Covid19 outbreak, but this is the perfect time for Third World countries to take tough decisions and free themselves from their dependency on great world powers.
Whatever the case may be, the world will surely witness the collapse of political regimes and economic systems, and the dislocation of societies.
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