Carlos María Alcover, a professor of group and organizational psychology at the Rey Juan Carlos University, discusses whether the pandemic has changed humanity in any significant way. According to Alcover, available data at the macro level indicates that there have been no significant changes for the better or worse in terms of the number of wars, armed conflicts, violence against immigrants, or gender violence.
While he believes that a longer-term perspective is needed to assess whether any changes have occurred, early indications suggest that there has been a lower level of openness to change, kindness, responsibility, and extraversion, along with an increased desire for stability and security. However, it is still too early to determine whether the pandemic alone is responsible for this trend or if other factors contribute to it.
Alcover notes that the pandemic has brought about some interesting changes in people’s behavior. For example, fewer people are getting married and divorced, but this trend may be attributed to financial difficulties rather than the pandemic alone. The use of delivery services for food and other items has increased substantially and shows no signs of slowing down. In contrast, cash transactions have declined due to fears of disease transmission. Alcover points out that the younger generation is less interested in owning things and more interested in experiences, but it remains to be seen whether this trend will continue.
In conclusion, it is too early to determine whether the pandemic has made us better or worse as a society. While some changes have occurred, the long-term effects are still uncertain.