What If COVID-19 Happened in 1990 — Before the Internet?

Thought experiments force us to think through the consequences of one or more variables surrounding a particular topic being different, and what the consequences of this might be. They can be useful in seeing the other side of an argument by playing the counterfactual, by understanding the role that technology plays in our lives, and sometimes, they can just be plain old fun.

In the spirit of the latter, I spent a little time thinking through how things would have been different if COVID-19 lockdowns took place, not in 2020, but in 1990 — before the internet, and how it would have impacted our daily lives, our work, our politics and so on, with nothing but essential services open for business.

Can you think of any others? Let me know in the comments!

White-Collar and Remote Work

Scenario 1: Many of us would find ourselves on extended holidays, finding it almost impossible to do meaningful work remotely for more than a few days without email, instant messenger, and access to key documents.

Scenario 2: Given most of the white-collar world would struggle to work remotely, and this would be devastating for our economy (even more so than it has been in 2020), then stay at home orders would likely not have been in effect for…