The Matrix is one of the most influential films of recent times. It is set in a dystopian world where humans are being used to generate energy that is harnessed by a giant machine. These humans live in nutrient-filled pods and produce energy while being entertained by a simulation which feels much like the real world. The protagonists’ central struggle is to break out of the simulation, destroy the machines and awaken humans again.
When this film came out in 1999, such a future seemed too far fetched to be possible. But in 2020, COVID-19 is fast making the Matrix a reality. This may sound alarmist. While we won’t be floating in the nutrient fluid while making energy for the machine, we will get pretty darned close.
Let us first examine how COVID-19 will change the world. Firstly, our ecosystem will dissuade mass gatherings. Until recently, mass gatherings were a form of communion, where the individual participated in a big sports event or concert, movie or religious event. Society, until COVID-19, encouraged mass gatherings. Even earning a living meant going to a place where several workers gathered and collaborating with them to produce something. This will change.
Secondly, freedom of movement might get constrained by the availability of safety gear. This is likely to outlast the infection. A parallel to this is the widespread use of condoms, a highly intrusive form of protection. Condoms became protection against AIDS when it was an epidemic. Now, AIDS is more or less manageable. Despite reduced threat perception from AIDS, condoms have outlasted peak AIDS. Masks and gloves will be the condoms of the 2020s.
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