In one of my recent letters, I had written how adversity brings about innovation in unique ways. And as bad as COVID has been to all of us–and we are a long way from returning to a (new) normal–I think the ‘forced’ changes it has brought about in society and polity are going to stay for a long time to come.
Having spent a year working, discussing, collaborating and most everything online, many a face-to-face meetings will be avoided in future too with online tools having improved a couple of generations in this short time.
Staying stuck at home has helped us respect each other, especially our closest people, so much more. Staying online all the time, has helped us appreciate the need for physical, in-person interactions. Staying cooped all the time, has helped us question the time we spend travelling from one point to the other.
There is always a perfect or opportune time for everything. Podcasts are back stronger than ever, and the Audible-led audiobooks market has never been as popular as now. And it does appear that the latest entrant on the social media scene,
ClubHouse hit it spot on.
An iOS-only app at this moment, ClubHouse is like the internet radio stations of the 1990s with one important difference: it allows each of us to be the broadcaster! It facilitates audio-only conversations between one and many, always in the now and only Live. Only time can tell us whether it proves a short-term “coolest app on the store” or turns into a long-term habit-forming innovator.