5 years of Covid lockdown: From WFH to OTT, 5 changes that stayed on
The world seems to have moved on, but as wars rage and space exploration ramps up, there are some things where there's no going back to life before March 24, 2020
Many believed that Covid was a turning point, that people would continue to care for each other even post-pandemic. Did it happen? Image: iStock
It’s tough to dredge up chilling memories of a time when life had dramatically wound down to a flat line.
When the first Covid-19 lockdown was announced on March 24, 2020, people huddled inside their homes anxious and fearful for their lives and what the future will bring.
Five years later, here we are, life is whizzing by in a blur as people rush around balancing work-life demands, back to navigating traffic and road rage, snowed down by a barrage of information, battling high prices, ravaging the environment, and worrying about US President Donald Trump. No time to savour calls of tiny birds or listening to the crunching of dried leaves under one’s feet anymore.
Collective amnesia?
People are back in their pods scurrying around like mice and Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown seem to have receded to the background. One journalist put it down to “collective amnesia” as the best way to describe how the world has decided to approach Covid. They would rather bury the memory of all their fears and anxieties about the disease, the trauma of hearing the daily death toll and the lockdowns.
Globally, 7 million people died due to Covid and only those who lost their dear ones may grieve when the anniversaries of that time roll by. Though the world seems to have moved on, as wars rage and space exploration ramps up, looking back on that period, how did the pandemic and the lockdowns irrevocably change life for us?
The Federal explores five key transformations that unfolded in our lives.
1. Workplace transformations
Undeniably, the Covid-19 pandemic brought about dramatic changes in the work environment.
For one, work-from-home got woven into the workplace culture. After the pandemic subsided, many corporates ended up continuing this facility or encouraging a ‘hybrid culture’ depending on the nature of the employee’s work. But five years later, many organisations have started to push to bring their employees back to offices, a high-profile case being America’s largest bank, JPMorgan Chase.
According to experts, however, for employees, work today has settled into something in between, not fully remote nor 9am to 5pm in office but ‘flexible’. Employees today move between home, co-working spaces, company offices, and sometimes even different geographies, integrating work into their lives rather than structuring their lives around work.
Hashtags like WorkLessLiveMore, ActYourWage, and RestIsProductive have picked up traction, as employees are seeking more balance in their lives. After being cosseted in their homes during COVID, and realising the fragility of life and so-called 'secure' jobs, people have started rethinking what success means. They shun the ‘always-on’ work mode mentality and work-life balance has become a buzzword.
As technology and AI reshapes how we work, both people and organisations are adapting to new ways of working—which is 'anywhere, anytime', say experts. Offices still exist, but their purpose has changed. They are no longer the default location where all work happens, but rather one of the many places where work occurs, changes that evolved after COVID.
2. Over-the-top platforms rule
Five years after lockdown, OTT platforms, which became popular during lockdowns, have grown and muscled their way into India’s thriving entertainment and media industry, which is growing at an 8.3 per cent CAGR. OTT platforms are a dominant force to reckon with today in the industry, growing the fastest and expected to reach a value of ₹35,062 crore (USD 4.14 billion) by 2028, according to latest PwC report, 'Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2024-28’.
Once lockdowns lifted and people were comfortable about being in closed crowded places, film industry giants expected audiences to switch off from OTT and return to theatres in droves. But, clearly that did not happen for a host of reasons.
Many single screen theatres too were impacted by OTT. All over India, from 25,000 single theatres only 5,000 or even less remain today. Another reason people are not flocking to theatres is because of the quality of films. Since audiences are exposed to films from all over India and around the world, Hindi films which dominated the Indian film industry has lost is sheen. Most of the films toe the line of some right-wing formula, which has not gone down well with audiences.
Moreover, the sheer variety of good entertainment available at home on OTT has made Indian audiences fussier. They get the best of films from all the world, including Nordic crime dramas, world-class shows like 'Severance' or 'Succession' or Oscar films like an 'Anora', which bagged best picture this year.
Film lovers don’t see the point in commuting and spending money in expensive multiplex theatres. In fact, when best director at this year’s Academy Awards Sean Baker accepted his award for his film 'Anora', he had to urge filmmakers to keep making films for the big screen. Big filmmakers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Zoya Akhtar and Karan Johar too are making movies for OTT.
3. Masks and hygiene
A significant feature of the COVID pandemic that stayed long after the crushing pandemic left us is a heightened sense of hygiene and mask-wearing. Back in June 2020, nearly 90 per cent of the global population lived in regions that had nearly universal mask use or had laws requiring mask use in some public locations, and community mask use was recommended by nearly all major public health bodies.
During the pandemic, frequent handwashing, sanitising surfaces, and practising cough etiquette, were drilled into our heads. And, for many, wearing masks and being conscious of hygiene got incorporated into their daily lifestyles. Even today, while travelling in planes and trains, people in India wear masks to avoid picking up random colds and infections. Long after covid, many infections continue to persist and people have become wary of these germs and prefer to don a mask and wash their hands regularly.
4. Online mental health/yoga classes
Zoom and other video conference apps became a common part of our business and personal life. People got on Zoom to do a presentation or chat with friends and 'remotely' dine with them, but they also attended yoga sessions and got online for a consultation with a doctor.
Five years after COVID, yoga sessions are still the rage. And online mental health therapy sessions have seen a spike, according to many studies. According to one study, titled 'Online mental health counselling in Post-covid India, ethical challenges', when Covid-19 hit in 2019, popularity of online mental health services in India surged during the isolation period since mental health therapy was available at the touch of a button.
This surge in usage can be attributed to the lockdown measures imposed during the health crisis, which prompted individuals to seek online therapy as a viable alternative to in-person sessions. Moreover, a majority reported positive experiences with online therapy. Though there are challenges like shortage of mental health professionals compared to the increasing prevalence of mental health disorders, the online mental health service industry continues to boom long after Covid died down.
These services connect individuals to a variety of professionals, including psychologists, yoga experts, life coaches, and indigenous therapists.
5. Indians become inveterate travellers
Indians are travelling, and spending, like never before. Compared to pre-Covid times, reports said there has been a 25 per cent increase in the number of people taking more than three trips a year, said reports.
In 2024, figures show Indians travelled more than ever before.
And, now five years after Covid, 2025 is shaping up to be ‘The Year of Mindful Wanderlust’, where travel is no longer just about destinations but about deeper connections, purpose, and personalisation for Indians.
This shift is driven by travellers looking for eco-conscious escapes, off-beat and immersive experiences. They are no longer just headed to Dubai or Singapore or London.
The fact that Indians have turned into inveterate travellers is a trend that has become noticeable after Covid, in recent years.
A new kind of selfishness
In the end, many people really believed that Covid was a turning point. That people would start to care more about each other, take care of our planet, and support each other’s mental health and boundaries. Indians even started showing sympathy for migrant workers who they had never noticed earlier.
But, that community bonding and humanness which happened during Covid swiftly disappeared and in its place a "new sense of selfishness" has emerged, say experts.
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