Which Online Services Will Stay after the Pandemic?

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Which Online Services Will Stay after the Pandemic?

A recent public opinion study suggests a limited number of Americans are likely to continue using online services put in place during COVID-19 restrictions¹.

In 2020, many daily routines³ went online, including schooling⁴ and office work. Food delivery⁵ services, online activities, teleworking, and telemedicine became more normal. Many services were created, reimagined, or popularized during the pandemic. Some services, such as online shopping and video conference calling, were in wide use before the pandemic.

But researchers for The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research wanted to know if the new online services would remain popular.

The study found that fewer than one in three Americans said they were very likely to use new, online services at least some of the time.

The study found that close to half of adults in the United States said they were not likely to attend online, or virtual⁶, activities or receive virtual health care. The Americans also said they were not likely to use food delivery or pickup⁷ services after the coronavirus pandemic is over.

Close to half of those questioned said they wanted virtual options for health care, community events, exercise, or religious services to continue after the pandemic.

Donna Hoffman is director of the Center for the Connected Consumer at George Washington School of Business. Hoffman said, "Rather than this either-or, I think we're likely to be facing a hybrid⁸ future."

She said, "People have found convenience in some of these virtual options that just makes sense..."

Hoffman added that many virtual options may have started during the pandemic. But they do not necessarily⁹ have anything to do with health safety. They are simply easier.

Food delivery services

Cornelius Hairston, a 40-year-old father, is married and his wife works¹⁰ on the front line of the health care field. So, he said his family was very careful throughout the pandemic. He said they only went out when necessary.

Hairston said that his twin four-year-old boys are "COVID babies." For much of their young lives, the children did not enter a food store. The family used delivery services to avoid going to stores. But in the future, he expects to use delivery services "from time to time" or not often.

Others say some food delivery or food pickup services are not as good as buying in-person.

Tony DiGiovane told the AP that he felt nervous about high COVID-19 infection numbers in his home state of Arizona. So, the 71-year-old used food delivery services. He found them to be troublesome.

"By the time I picked up the stuff¹¹," he said, "I needed more stuff." He added that there was always something "missing¹² or wrong" on pickup or takeout orders.

Online healthcare

For Angie Lowe, a 48-year old woman from the state of Illinois, telemedicine was convenient. Her first telemedicine appointment was early in the pandemic. She was able to talk with a doctor without missing work or driving to a medical center.

Lowe said, "It was my first telemedicine appointment, but it won't be my last. If I can do it, I'm going to do it." She and her husband returned to doing things in public more than a year ago, but she continues to use telemedicine.

Sixty-three-year-old Karen Stewart understands that video calls are useful. She also sees some of her doctors online and likes that she does not have to drive to her appointments.

However, she said it was "scary" when all of her appointments before a medical operation were online. She wanted more "hands on" care. Stewart added, there are "things that a doctor might pick up on that they can't see online."

The pandemic created a chance to balance in-person and virtual services to support the physical and mental health of older adults, said Alycia Bayne. She is a researcher at NORC.

Bayne said telemedicine could help people who have difficulty traveling, who do not live near a medical center, or who live alone.

But technology has limits. Bayne said technological¹³ difficulties may explain why the public opinion study found that older adults are less likely to use digital services after the pandemic.

She noted¹⁴, however, that the AP-NORC study also found similar percentages of adults across all ages saying virtual options should continue after the pandemic.

"They recognize the benefits of virtual services," she said. "But they're also ready to start getting back to their pre-pandemic routines." Bayne added the new services are an added benefit for people needing them: "The silver lining¹⁵, of course, is that these services are now available."

Words in This Story

routine² –n. a regular way of doing things in a particular order

delivery –n. the act of taking something to a person or place

option –n. something that can be chosen; a choice or possibility

hybrid –n. the combination¹⁶ of two or more things

convenience –n. a quality or situation that makes something easy or useful for someone by reducing the amount of work or time required to do something : convenient –adj.

stuff –n. materials, supplies or equipment

appointment –n. an agreement to meet with someone at a particular time

benefit –n. a good or helpful result or effect

silver lining –idiom something good that can be found in a bad situation

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 routine   

n.例行公事，惯例；adj.例行的，常规的

参考例句：

• It is everyday routine.这是每天的例行公事。
• She found the hospital routine slightly dull.她感到医院的工作有点枯燥乏味。

3 routines   

n.[计算机]程序( routine的名词复数 )；例行公事；日常工作；固定节目

参考例句：

• The artists were going through their daily routines. 艺术家们正进行日常的练习活动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Hospital routines for nurses are very rigid. 医院中护士的日常工作非常刻板。 来自辞典例句

4 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

5 delivery   

n.交付；投递；分娩；解救者；演讲的风格

参考例句：

• The strike caused a great delay in the delivery of the mail.这次罢工严重地延误了邮件的投递。
• He was employed at the local grocery store as a delivery boy.他受雇于当地杂货店当送货员。

6 virtual   

adj.实质上的，事实上的，实际上的

参考例句：

• This reply is a virtual acceptance of our offer.这一回答实质上是接受了我们的建议。
• At that time the East India Company was the virtual ruler of Bengal.那时东印度公司是孟加拉的实际统治者。

7 pickup   

n.拾起，获得

参考例句：

• I would love to trade this car for a pickup truck.我愿意用这辆汽车换一辆小型轻便卡车。||The luck guy is a choice pickup for the girls.那位幸运的男孩是女孩子们想勾搭上的人。

8 hybrid   

n.(动，植）杂种，混合物

参考例句：

• That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
• The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。

9 necessarily   

adv.必要地，必需地；必定地，必然地

参考例句：

• More work does not necessarily call for more men.增加工作量不一定就要增添人员。
• A voter must necessarily be no younger than eighteen.选民必须在18岁以上。

10 works   

n.作品，著作；工厂，活动部件，机件

参考例句：

• We expect writers to produce more and better works.我们期望作家们写出更多更好的作品。
• The novel is regarded as one of the classic works.这篇小说被公认为是最优秀的作品之一。

11 stuff   

n.原料，材料，东西；vt.填满；吃饱

参考例句：

• We could supply you with the stuff in the raw tomorrow.明天我们可以供应你原材料。
• He is not the stuff.他不是这个材料。

12 missing   

adj.遗失的，缺少的，失踪的

参考例句：

• Check the tools and see if anything is missing.检点一下工具，看有无丢失。
• All the others are here;he's the only one missing.别人都来了，就短他一个。

13 technological   

adj.技术的；工艺的

参考例句：

• A successful company must keep up with the pace of technological change.一家成功的公司必须得跟上技术变革的步伐。
• Today,the pace of life is increasing with technological advancements.当今， 随着科技进步，生活节奏不断增快。

14 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

15 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

16 combination   

n.组合，合并，联合；

参考例句：

• He carried on the business in combination with his friends.他与朋友们合伙做生意。
• The materials can be used singly or in combination.这些材料可以单独使用也可以混合用。