How Covid Remade America
Five years after Covid reshaped society, we’re finally reckoning with just how much we misread its long-term impact.
Five years after Covid reshaped society, we’re finally reckoning with just how much we misread its long-term impact. This op ed piece from the New York Times titled How Covid Remade America reminds me of the report we published in 2020 titled Ghost Trends, which analyzed many of the underlying forces and how they might continue to evolve.
NY Times Op Ed: How Covid Remade America
https://lnkd.in/e4KDgZsG
Ghost Trends Report (2020)
https://lnkd.in/eXfr_Mf5
To better understand the future, it is essential to look back and identify patterns that shape what lies ahead. The pandemic serves as a pivotal backdrop for understanding how trends evolved during this period. It catalyzed systemic disruptions, exposing vulnerabilities in areas like work, as seen in "Ghost Gigs" (2020), and digital trust, highlighted in "Ghost Populi" (2020). These early signals of change informed foresight frameworks, leading to predictions of workplace aspirations of flexibility in "Rich Reset Culture" (2025) and deepening digital mistrust reflected in "Deepfake Normal" (2025). Looking ahead, the pandemic's lasting effects continue to shape adaptive strategies for urban resilience and autonomy, illustrated by "Smart/Dumb Hybrid Cities" (2025) and "Solo Society" (2025). This period underscores the importance of anticipatory frameworks in identifying enduring patterns and emerging challenges.
The heatmap below illustrates the correlations between trend themes from 2020 and 2025, highlighting varying degrees of thematic continuity and divergence. Strong correlations, such as between "Ghost Town Economics" (2020) and "Smart/Dumb Hybrid Cities" (2025), reflect consistent urban resilience themes. Moderate correlations, like "Ghost Gigs" and "Rich Reset Culture," show how gig economy concerns have evolved toward equitable workplace structures. Low correlations, such as those involving "Deepfake Normal," signal the emergence of new challenges like digital mistrust. The matrix underscores the complexity of trend evolution, revealing patterns of adaptation, continuity, and the introduction of novel priorities over time.
This analysis highlights the importance of correlating past and present trends to understand broader trajectories of change. It also reflects how our perception of the pandemic’s cultural impact has evolved over time, with the depth of its long-term effects still becoming apparent. Strong continuities reveal enduring challenges, while moderate correlations and divergent themes emphasize the complexity of adapting to and addressing emerging issues. By identifying these patterns, policymakers, organizations, and society can better navigate an evolving landscape, using these insights to foster a more resilient and inclusive future.
Key Themes
Rise in Extremism: By 2023, 85% of domestic terrorism acts in the U.S. were linked to ideological networks, showcasing the systemic nature of extremism outlined in the "Ghost Trends" report in 2020 (Source: Pew Research Center).
Skepticism Toward Digital Content: In 2024, 68% of Americans expressed skepticism about the authenticity of digital content, a significant increase from 2020 levels, highlighting the deepening mistrust addressed in the "Deepfake Normal" trend (Source: Brookings Institution).
Gig Economy and Workplace Equity: By 2025, only 27% of U.S. workers had access to paid family leave benefits, perpetuating systemic inequities that trends like "Rich Reset Culture" and "Gendered Work Spaces" sought to address (Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Generational Fragmentation: Studies indicate that partisan animus among voters aged 18–25 rose from 20 to 35 points between the 1970s and 2016, a precursor to the generational divides now encapsulated in the "Intragenerational Animus" trend (Source: Phillips, J., 2022).
Technology and Automation: In 2025, over 68% of Americans expressed reliance on verification tools to confirm digital authenticity, driven by concerns over deepfake technologies and misinformation (Source: Pew Research Center).
Urbanization and Resilience: By 2030, 96% of urban growth is expected to occur in developing countries, where infrastructure challenges amplify the demand for resilient city planning (Source: United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects).