Modern Conveniences the Pandemic Kind of Ruined

Salad bars, buffet restaurant chains, and all-you-can-eat establishments have been especially hard hit during the pandemic, as people avoid communal eating situations entirely. Large, national chains such as Old Country Kitchen and Sweet Tomatoes closed, often permanently, as ownership sees no possible way to maintain profitable operations. Since buffets declined in popularity the decade before the pandemic, the challenges caused by the pandemic might mean the end of the buffet concept forever.

If you’ve ever visited a Costco, Sam’s Club, or BJs wholesale store, you know that one of the best reasons to shop at a warehouse club is the free samples. For decades, workers passed out unlimited amounts of food and beverage samples to shoppers that passed by the aisles. The companies discontinued food samples at the beginning of the pandemic and, for some stores, this practice may not come back.

A firm handshake was once an important measure of someone’s character. Depending on the quality of your handshake at a job interview, it could make you appear more or less confident. Covid has taught us all a whole lot more about germs and how viruses spread, so it’s no longer fashionable to shake hands. In the future, there is a good chance that this long-held convention will stay unpopular and a dated practice.

It’s important to do what we can to protect the environment and limit the use of single-use plastics bags. As a result, we all have a bunch of reusable grocery bags that we either bought or received for free. Unfortunately, some states blocked the use of these bags during the start of the pandemic out of precaution to stop the spread of the virus. It is unclear when the widespread use of these reusable bags will come back into regular practice.

There's nothing quite like standing with thousands of people singing to your favorite artist’s songs. While some outdoor concerts rescheduled, some of the indoor concerts have not been rescheduled yet. It is difficult to imagine going back to crowded concerts inside where you stand right next to hundreds of unmasked strangers. In light of 2020, it seems a bit reckless.

Touchscreen kiosks were growing in prevalence during the 2010s. This includes touchscreen menu boards at fast-food restaurants, directories at malls, and interactive customer engagement kiosks where kids could play games. In light of the contagiousness of the coronavirus, most people avoid touching shared surfaces when they can and prefer surfaces to be cleaned as often as possible. It’s hard to imagine public touchscreens coming back any time soon, especially in spaces where frequent cleaning isn’t possible.

Humans have a long history of sharing food. We love to try new foods and share foods as an act of being social. However, sharing food also means sharing germs. If someone is sick and you share food with them, there’s a good chance that you’ll get sick, too. While it’s fun to share food, is it worth the possibility of getting sick? In the future, it’s easy to see how we all might still be cautious about who we share foods with.

A high five is a fun way to celebrate good news or a win. It’s a classic way for athletes and co-workers to congratulate a job well done. Much like shaking hands with strangers, which can transmit germs and viruses, high fives are less popular as we try not to touch other people. Even when coronavirus levels go low enough to go unreported by major news outlets, will you feel comfortable in the future sharing germs when you don’t have to?

It’s almost iconic... standing in a long line at a theme park or to check out at a grocery store. During the pandemic, companies found ways to get rid of the long lines. Theme parks launched virtual queues you can join on your phone and return to the ride or restaurant entrance when it’s time. Grocery stores have set up delivery services and scan and go programs to scan your items from your phone and even pay in the mobile app.

It's no secret that cash is full of germs and dirt. During the pandemic, contactless payments became the norm. You can tap your card above the card terminal for your payment to be transmitted. It’s hard to think about a time when these convenient technologies will go away in favor of cash.