Coronavirus will leave one day but its social and psychological impact will not

After 40 days of strict nationwide home-quarantine due to the coronavirus outbreak, Chinese people are experiencing much more than a public health crisis.

This “break” from the usual fast-paced rhythm of society, and the stress and competition associated with striving for upward mobility, has brought about radical social changes.

With no obligation to wake up early, no clear objective for the week or the month, and little possibility to socialize, this restricted way of life and extreme form of isolation has abruptly cut people off from the rest of the world - and in effect, their source of motivation.

How do they come to terms with and navigate between these two extreme life-worlds? How do they deal with the void resulting from the drastic reduction of desire and consumption? How do they pass the time in a world where the self is -more than ever- the focus of their life? …  These are just some of the questions  which  have emerged.

The Metis team has compiled a series of articles exploring the behavioral and mindset changes in Chinese people’s daily lives, and reflecting on the possible after effects of this nationwide standstill.