Anika Labiba Ahmed, Shahriyer Hossain Shetu,
Umme Hani Anika and Quazi Farhina Hassan
“Every truth has two sides; it is as well to look at both before we commit ourselves to either.”A quote by the Greek fabulist and storyteller Aesop that points at the diverse binaries of life created by the 21st century’s ongoing deadly disease, COVID-19. Everything has more than one perspective that is simultaneously either good or bad, depending on how we want to see it. The visions provided are not always the only scenario as, just like a coin, things might always have two pictures that are contradictory to one another. The Janus face, for example, indicates two possible contrasting points of view on one particular thing. This can either be dark or light, good or bad, day or night, etc.
The contrasting points of view may differ from one individual to another. And the same goes for the pandemic situation as perspectives vary depending on experiences, circumstances, and understandings. The COVID restrictions and the extreme death rates have strengthened the mental as well as social connections in families while others had knives being hurled at them by family members under the guise of words, or worse get beaten up black and blue; when house helpers became scarce men in some households shared the housework, while in other households with more family members, children to take care of, both spouses had a lot on their plates. While society was busy grappling with the new invader, nature hit the reset button after countless tortures from human activity but some places were not quite lucky as the old habits of harming nature resurfaced and have made reconciliation between humans and nature difficult. A fraction of people flourished in academics, let their passion for art and literature overflow on the internet, and succeeded in avoiding poverty altogether by opening up new businesses online. However, for others being stuck at home all day like a recluse has made them delay work or school-related assignments, while others fell victim to perpetrators on the internet in the hopes of transforming their lives and some individuals fell below the poverty line.
Along with an increasing number of deaths, the Covid pandemic has also impacted the other features of the world, which might be unavoidably dangerous for future generations. These features are the most important resources of human lives – also known as family, the internal source of livelihood, nature, the external source of existence, and productivity, the effectiveness of one’s existence. Our life is all about binaries, and these living sources are no different. The COVID pandemic has sucked in the fog that was blinding us to see the silent sides of the world. If we debate on family, nature, and productivity based on the positive and negative sides caused by the pandemic, a question arises: Which side is heavier?
The usual hubbub of the majority of the Dhaka city dwellers rushing to leave for their hometown during the two Eid festivals, to spend time with their loved ones away from the hectic and mechanized concrete jungle, is nothing new. But COVID-19 gave the citizens some more reasons to leave the metropolis, although not all the people leaving the city had jovial reasons, they still clung on to the hope that they will have a place for themselves alongside their beloved family in their own hometown. Students and other young people who set off from their hometown to the city in search of education or a good job for their family’s sustenance, returned home safe and sound amidst the crisis. What is worth more than a person’s life to their own family members? While COVID-19 restrictions were harsh on the budget of several families it also brought families together, and strengthened the bond.
In Bangladesh, the initiation of the lockdown brought on by the surge in infections led many middle and upper-class families to let go of their house helpers some in fear of getting infected while other house helpers left on their own. Whichever way it was seen, this meant that household chores handled by the house helpers were now on the family members. And men have been reported to take a share of the household chores more than they did in the past. Staying at home the majority of the time either since some were working from home or having less work outside of the home, made most men see for themselves the amount of household work women need to do on a daily basis, hence most men stepped in. There has been much talk on the issue of breaking gender stereotypes due to the recent change in household dynamics.
Some young people may find a little respite in interacting virtually with friends and new people rather than following a mundane routine every day being stuck at home and not being able to go out and socialize. Studies found that lack of socialization, in-person interaction, staying stuck at home, and lack of a routine can contribute to feeling lonely and agitated. Hence, social media has become a way to entertain one’s bored mind even more after the pandemic. The current plight of the people staying at home barred from social interaction mirrors Miss Havisham’s state in Charles Dickens’ novel Great Expectations, although her reasons for staying away from society was because she was plagued by a broken marriage while the present-day individuals are facing a plague in its literal form.
Unfortunately, not all families are created equal. Homelife can be debilitating for many people with dysfunctional, toxic, and downright abusive family members. Moreover, being locked up 24/7 with one’s own, or a family member’s, mental health issues are severely detrimental to psychological and sometimes even physical well-being. Starting from infants, to children, to adolescents, to parents, to the elderly, everybody is likely negatively affected by this persistent and seemingly invincible virus that is quite literally crippling societies and claiming the lives of so many. Add all this to the family mix and you have a situation nothing short of catastrophic. Perhaps the most important issue here is one that is hard to detect and even harder to solve. The pandemic gave rise to domestic violence and abuse all over the world. The problems of emotional and physical abuse are difficult to talk about, especially online or over the phone. Furthermore, a lot of the time the victims themselves are oblivious as to being abused or manipulated, causing them to suffer silently the damages that are done for years to come. Lack of communication and little to no physical interaction means that support systems outside of the family may not even know what is happening within the four walls of isolation. The outcomes are devastating.
As with any other time, there have been many babies being born during this pandemic, and one cannot help but wonder what the implications are for these “COVID Babies”. Assuming that they do not contract the virus themselves, how are these babies socializing during their most formative years, during the never-ending lockdowns? What does it mean for babies to constantly see masked human beings? They say it takes a village to raise a child, so how are parents dealing with this alone? The answer to all this is that we do not know but they are scary to think about.
Not to mention that school-going children are being kept away from school and their friends- essentially losing the best years of their lives. The detrimental effects of not being able to play outside and not being in the routine of going to school every day, missing out on extra-curricular activities, cannot be ignored. Studies show that children are suffering from depression now! Teenagers are dealing with much the same in, in addition to the much-feared element of teen angst and frustrations.
Remember when we were teens and we (sometimes) hated our family members so much we wanted to be out all of the time? Parents and the elderly do not have it easy either. Working from home blurs the line between home and work, making the house a stressful environment. What’s more, parents have the added pressure of performing additional roles like that of an educator, leaving no space for them to take a breather. As for the senior citizens, not only are they a higher risk group for COVID-related complications, there is also the question of who takes care of them when doctors’ offices and hospitals are virus hubs.
Owing to the lockdown in Bangladesh during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country saw a decrease in the number of greenhouse gases being emitted, indicating that the air became much cleaner. Studies using the satellite data collected from February 1, 2019, to May 20, 2020, revealed a significant decrease in sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. The lack of industrial operation and restriction of motor-driven vehicles were the causes for the cleaner air during the time the strict lockdown was imposed. And as most people called it nature is healing, as it started recovering from the detrimental effects of the destruction caused by human activity. The ever-changing cities undergoing development is well portrayed in William Wordsworth’s poem “Composed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3, 1802” where he views London and River Thames from the Westminster Bridge, and he marvels at the beauty of the first ray of light at dawn but also acknowledges the industrial revolution changing the city as he mentions “domes, towers, theatres”. All this and adding his appreciation for the “smokeless air” at the peak of dawn depicts the theme of nature and civilization which are juxtaposed. Since dawn is the time when everything in civilization is still, there is no smoke or pollution which Wordsworth wishes others could witness too.
Soon after the lockdown, the country experienced mass migration and each people had their own story of moving back to their villages. Some of the people left due to being laid off from their workplace and were struggling to make ends meet, and students living in one or two-roomed houses felt the need to move back as the education system shifted online. With mass migrations to villages, it also meant that people were close to nature. Just as the Romantic poets had portrayed in their poems- the interaction of the common people with nature, i.e. pastoral life.
But then again, nature, as we speak, is like a child who is not getting the proper attention from her parents due to an uninvited – stubbornly rude guest, Mr. Pandemic “Pumblechook.” According to Conservation International scientists, there is a direct link between the destruction of nature and disease outbreaks such as COVID – 19. The idea of nature “getting a break” might seem like a healing initiative process at first, but, at the same time, it became a heavily pressurizing reason due to the reverse migration, reduction of sustainability projects, and illegal activities on the environment conducted by non-other than us, the humans.
COVID-19 has not only crumbled our lives, but it has also used us against our own environment. The use-value extraction, theorizing from Marx’s Capital Volume 1, has increased massively due to the pandemic outbreak. Researchers have found that “people who have lost their employment in cities are returning to their rural homes, further increasing the pressure on natural resources while also increasing the risk of COVID-19 transmission to rural areas.” Along with this, the reverse migration has also caused other harmful scenarios such as heavy deforestation, illegal land grabbing, wildlife hunting, illegal fishing, etc. This negative impact is slowly scarring the environment with a bruise on an already multiple bruised body. On the other hand, the citizens are using more electricity produced mainly using coal, which results in high CO2 emissions. It has a high potential for environmental damage and may increase global warming risks.
Seeing from the national level perspective, the regular steps taken during the pre-pandemic times have consistently closed off due to the lockdown system. While it is decreasing the death rate, it is, at the same time, stopping the sustainability approaches conducted by humans. Processes such as green energy and solar energy have declined, and many sustainable projects are undone due to the pandemic. For this reason, nature is not getting the proper care that it deserves from us. Our traditional species are at high risk as well due to invasive species. The management and policies taken for such invasion have totally stopped. Thus, we may see a reduced number of our traditional species after the pandemic totally comes to an end.
Unlike Wordsworth or any other Romantic poets, we do not even have the opportunity to escape to nature in order to avoid the pandemic reality. Instead, we are killing the only source of our livelihood. The negative impacts on nature are something that we hardly focus on due to the other current issues such as deaths and diseases. In addition, we only have witnessed through social media and news channels that the pandemic has provided a healing break for nature. Which is, of course, accurate but then again, a break should not be so long that it may bring issues for the future generation. We also have to keep in mind that once the pandemic is over, there will be less interaction between man and nature. This avoidance may cause a pandemic, which is much more dangerous than the current one. And it may cause harmful side effects for humans and animals such as undrinkable water, unbreathable air, extreme heat, etc.
Even though all the universities and colleges have closed down and halted the academic activities on campus, online classes have made it easier for students to continue their studies. Technology has helped educational institutions all around the world to progress academically, permitting students to attend classes from any place. Even when students miss a class or two, they can easily get access to the lectures from recordings. The best part of education in a pandemic is that it is helping students financially as well as mentally and physically. They don’t have to pay for transportation, either for meals or books. Due to less mental pressure, most of the students are getting good grades and making progress in their life.
As it is the quarantine period, people have a lot of free time at home where they can do lots of things to keep themselves entertained. From making videos in TikTok to blogging on Instagram, people are indulging in productive activities to let off steam. To keep themselves stress-free, they jump into their bundle of books and read them till they are exhausted, paint things whatever their eyes capture, watch their favorite shows on Netflix and Prime, and facetime their friends and families to spend some quality virtual time. This pandemic has put a stop in regular lives but at the same time, brought creativity out of people.
During this lockdown, a lot of people are leaning towards business. Many started online businesses to support their family financially as other companies are being closed for lockdown. Clothing, makeup, education, etc., online businesses are rising during this pandemic. As people can’t go outside, they are buying things online. It is serving the business world hugely. Young people are writing their names on the list of most influential people, for example, nine Bangladeshi youths have written their names on Forbes Under 30 Asia list.
Procrastination has been the plague to getting that assignment from school done on time or the work assigned by our employer at work. While it was difficult to rid the ghost of procrastination from our shoulders before the pandemic, staying enclosed in the safety of our homes has made it harder after educational institutions closed on March 17, 2020, in Bangladesh to stop the spread of COVID-19. Our houses are a breeding ground of distractions, which can lead to procrastination and thwart us from completing our work. And unlike our workplace which has scheduled breaks, beginning and end times our house is devoid of a specific schedule. While being at home finding a secluded spot to complete our work can seem to increase productivity but we need to be aware of “digital temptations.” In addition, to escape a work that we find uninteresting, or stressful we try to be an escapist and delve into the digital world of cat and kitten videos, which hinders our productivity. We seemed to have become a modern era Hamlet as we keep postponing our tasks like Hamlet kept putting off killing his traitorous uncle, Claudius. Instead of saying “To be or not to be, that is the question,” we modern era Hamlets have questions like “To watch a series or to work?”
While on the topic of being distracted working or studying online, our attention may be diverted towards various social media platforms or entertaining ourselves by playing games. While there is nothing wrong with giving ourselves time, the main concern arises when we think of the limit. And with the education transferring online during the pandemic, more and more young people have access to digital devices. There is little leeway for parents to refuse to hand over smartphones to their young children now. Even though smartphones provide access to various information, knowing the way to harness the information and the limitations of its usage are vital. With the social media platforms painting rosy pictures of people’s lives full of achievements, this can bring about a sense of hollowness in an individual leading to depression and anxiety for some. However, other young individuals aspiring to change their lives often fall victim to certain cybercrimes or are scammed due to the notion of instant gratification and easy money. Since the lockdown in March, there have been more than a hundred cybercrime cases being filed from April to June alone last year.
Ever since the entrance of the pandemic in Bangladesh’s vicinity, the country went into consecutive periods of lockdown at intervals. While the education sector shifted online completely, other sectors kept regulating with less manpower. Particularly the garments sector saw a number of employees being laid off, while others suffered pay cuts. Price hike of daily necessities made it difficult for lower-income people to get a minimum of three meals a day. And the extended periods of lockdown reduced the income of rickshaw drivers, day laborers, and street vendors, as they had less work due to movement restrictions. This scenario rings true with William Blake’s poem “London”, which was at the peak of the Industrial Revolution and paid little attention to the cries of the marginalized people affected by the change in society. The poem depicts that any huge transformation to a society heavily affects the poor, in Blake’s poem they are the “chimney-sweepers”, people on the “charter’d streets”, “harlots”.
In a nutshell, the duality of the different aspects of human life particularly family, nature and productivity, became more pronounced in the time of the pandemic. This leaves us scratching our heads as to which side of the debate tips the scale. We cannot simply choose if it has brought the positive or the negative sides in human resources, but we can see a clear picture of what is going on all over the world.