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With restrictions on operating hours lifted for restaurants, bars and other nightlife venues from Monday, do you think people who have been teleworking for so long will start going out again with friends or do you think they will feel it's too much bother and just drink and eat at home?
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18 Comments
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theResident
I hope not. People need to get back to being social - albeit with a little caution naturally.
Aly Rustom
I think it will vary on an individual basis, but I doubt it will go back to pre pandemic levels of socialization.
In my case, we bought a house this year and we have a garden. I much prefer BBQing in my garden and having friends and neighbors over than going out. Cheaper too.
prionking
Hopefully they haven't been thoroughly conditioned to cower at home, and instead get back out to live life again, ignoring the fearmongering that's bound to return.
theResident
@prionking: I don't think its fearmongering- everyone just out of the habit. Personally, I can't wait (never really stopped anyway) but others circumstances have changed over the last 2 years anyway. Socialisation is the biggest key. No need to put such a negative emphasis on it ,is there? Anyway, its all thanks to the vaccine programme we CAN get on with socialising again.
prionking
Don't take this the wrong way, but the message over the past nearly 2 years has been little short of apocalyptic, and that vaccination is the ONLY path back to a semblance of normality. Way back in March/April last year the "new normal" push emerged, insinuating that we'll have to get used to restrictions over the long term.
I agree that socialisation is extremely important, and I'm keen to get back out there and travel again, catch up with friends I haven't seen for ages as well without being separated by a ridiculous perspex screen. One's vaccination status shouldn't matter if these things are as good as they're supposed to be.
Tom San
I'm not convinced that it's over yet so I'll adhere to my current precautions for the time being.
jeffb
As someone who hasn't had the luxury of being able to work remotely, I've had to travel to work daily in order to feed my family. Honestly, Tokyo has been a great place with much fewer people bustling about. There were times when the train was empty during the normal rush hours!
For many, this is the signal that it's okay to live life again. Sadly many people alive today have been so shaken to their core, they may never feel good about socializing ever again.
Sven Asai
It’s even both. If you don’t have a reservation now you’ll find not a single seat in all the crowded places already, being forced to order their eat-at-home meal sets instead. And for the rest nothing changes, they didn’t socialize much before and will now not miss it too and they also probably wouldn’t find a place even if they now wanted.
ShinkansenCaboose
My wife and I always socialize together. No need to randomly socialize outside in the evenings.
Go out almost daily for a nice lunch and have never stopped traveling. No evening socializing when traveling either. Never had a need and not starting now.
Peter Neil
"Socialization" and people are overrated. I don't want to be around people. I can barely tolerate the supermarket, so I go there when there are fewest humans.
Lot's of people don't have friends anymore. They have "Contacts" in their phone. If there's anything to be learned from this pandemic, the current political climate and the daily news is that there's a 50-50 chance anyone you come near, whether a stranger or a "Contact," is an idiot,
kyushubill
Only those who did before.
Normal people will go out.
borscht
If you need to go to an overpriced restaurant to eat and swill down alcohol to ‘live life’, you’re doing it wrong.
Jimizo
The question was about eating and drinking out. If that amounts to ‘living life’, you need to find some hobbies.
When it comes to work, the younger generations tend not to habitually go out after work anyway. This change was happening long before Covid hit.
This doesn’t amount to cowering at home.
Addfwyn
I am not sure that "It's too much bother" would necessarily be the reason. I know a lot of folks who simply don't feel comfortable socializing yet, for safety reasons. I will probably wait a bit longer myself, though we finally got the green light from our office to go out during personal hours.
I think especially right now, there may be a big influx of people who have been waiting for literally years to go out again. If there was ever going to be a viral spike, it would be right now. Many people may want to wait to see how that pans out, and for things to calm down a bit.
Johansawada
drinking with my work buddies is important to me... its a place for us to complain and vent our frustration on everything work related... the wife will not understand and will most likely end the conversation saying "you foreigners have it easy..."
paddletime
most of them will realize what a waste of time and money going out really is. it's much better to stay home
purple_depressed_bacon
I think people should exercise caution and venture out with care. We can't stay locked up at home forever, but there's also no need to start excessively partying out in droves. Moderation is key so as to not tempt the Fates.