The Cotton Candy/Kudzu Vine Question.

We are early days yet pandemic-wise. We are dealing with who knows what right now. I have a two-fer question. Answer what you will, or speculate even further. That’s the Kudzu effect.
Cotton candy dissolves away when dipped in water. It vanishes, leaving behind a slightly sweet coloured water.
Kudzu vines are fast growing vines that twine and branch out covering every static object they encounter.
I’m asking what the pandemic cotton candy is - by that I mean what fundamental or every-day things/behaviours etc have already vanished (possibly forever) or may vanish like the mist in the next 12-18 months.
The second part of my question - what will morph and mutate and engulf and change until a vast array of brand new industries, social interactions, commerce, law, governments are ... ?
There is a major world-wide pressure on humans today. We are in the first stages of a massive phenomenon brought on by the Covid-19 Virus.
Social distancing with all it brings is shutting down the complex international web of capital and commerce, people and goods.
The livelihoods and health of a large percentage of humanity is compromised. How will we continue to function together in this big new 3D/digital world? What will become of our cities and countries as we figure how to maintain the law, keep lights on and food on the table, maintain empathy and consideration for our fellow humans?
There are questions everywhere that are vital for now and for our future. I could see the questions themselves grow like a kudzu vine.

 

Throw out an example of something you're thinking of to get us rolling, if you would.

 

Free hugs - right out. Mebbe forever.
Mall Santas? Malls will take a hit. Mall Santas might go the way of the Dodo.
Organized kids activities - soccer leagues, T-ball etc - dead for this year, not sure what the future holds. What will this do for their socialization? No idea.
Escaping from a bad situation at home? It’s going to get pretty bad behind some closed doors. On the other hand, folks at home able to reach out online might do so because otherwise ...
TeleHealth will grow immeasurable. Shut-ins with depression will suffer, and that will change proactive responses to help them, but how?
Trolls, misinformation and antisocial personalities will thrive online. Will we develop a form of digital white blood cells to isolate and remove such toxicity, or will it blossom and infect us immeasurably? I don’t know.
Online communities, commerce, bespoke work etc will explode. How? I don’t know.
Online learning will grow. Paywalls will morph.
“Personalities” will change. By that I mean the people in the front page of checkout magazines will go through a weird Darwinian purge’n’surge. Unknowns will bubble up from wherever and become household names for reasons both worthy and strange.
Scholarship - deep dives into digital archives will bring unexpected results.
AI will flourish. How?
I’m sure there are ramifications and outcomes for all of this and almost infinitely more, in ways that will surprise, shock and intrigue us all.
I’m just asking - what do you think has already happened, or may happen with this evolving new normal? What will crash? What will flourish?

 

I think there will be a surge in home schooling.
Depending on how long our schools stay closed, I think there may be some kids who just don't go back.
I'm seeing some positives with our kids already (and 99% of the credit goes to my wife who is doing 99% of the work in this area).
Our one daughter likes to sleep til 9 or so, it's just her natural rhythm.
Even if we have her go to bed super early on school nights she just can't get enough sleep with the 0630 wake up.
This week, she sleeps til 9 then gets up and starts a very productive school day. She is less irritable than I have ever seen.
And they are getting a lot done in much less time than the school day would usually take. Plus no bus ride......

 

Interesting point re taxes Cyn. There might be shifts in valuation all over the map (literally & figuratively).
I saw a clip of a little dog being walked with its leash attached to a drone. I know that’s nothing more than a silly video, but when it comes to remotely controlled drones, indeed machines of all sorts, applications fuelled by imagination and innovation might be a field that sees real expansion.

 

Oh great. Like the 'you can't have my money for public schools because I need it for my precious snowflakes' private school education' people need any more excuses to fight school taxes.