Freedom or a Different Kind of Jail: The Road Back to 'Normal' is Paved with Uncertainty

As of Monday 19th July, life in England went 'back to normal'. This means masks are optional, social distancing is a thing of the past and bars, restaurants and nightclubs are back to their full capacity. This is what we've all been waiting for, but I am not alone in feeling this decision is premature and ill-assessed. So why is this long-awaited freedom day inspiring more anxiety than excitement?

Impacts on vulnerable members of society:

In my opinion, those that have suffered the most in this pandemic are the nations' elderly, disabled and vulnerable. Having already faced the most risk over the last 18 months than any other proportion of society, despite restrictions easing, the pandemic is far from over for them. If anything, life is more risky now than it was a few months ago. In opening the rest of the country, our vulnerable citizens have been forced into isolation once more. With cases skyrocketing, the outside world is more threatening now than ever before. Vulnerable members of society and the elderly are more likely to rely on public transport instead of driving or walking, but this has become a scary venture now mask wearing is optional, cutting off travel opportunities and reducing the scope of reachable areas. As well as this, cafes and restaurants are back to full capacity and, with the approaching eradication of track and trace, are simply not an option for some people. Therefore, the re-opening of the country is instead closing off the lives of those we most want to protect.

What does this mean for the youth?

While the elderly, disabled and vulnerable have had the most risk, the young have had the most to lose. With important milestones such as GCSE's and A-Levels, university inductions, prom and graduation cancelled, and valuable interactions with friends and close family abruptly taken away, the already-present feeling of a fleeting childhood has been significantly accelerated for this generation's youth. After suffering higher proportions of job loss due to youth occupation of industries such as hospitality, the idea of freedom couldn't sound sweeter to the UK's youth. With nightclubs reopening and a reinvigorated social scene, getting back to 'normal' seems idyllic, however, personally I've felt more anxious in the last month than I have in the last year. The notion that we ought to be making the most of freedom has rendered me concerned for my own health, both mental and physical. This revelation came as a shock to me. I was ready to return to the clubs, I'd bought a new outfit and had pre-paid my entry, when I was suddenly overcome with a wave of anxiety. For the past 18 months, we've changed the way we live to keep distance between ourselves and others, I wasn't sure - and am still uncertain - if I could cope being surrounded by large amounts of people. Whereas before, everyone was isolated together, we are now in a transitional stage where people are trapped in individual ways, rather than collectively, which can feel just as lonely.

Is returning to 'normal' a step backwards?

It is undoubtable that this pandemic has shed light on many issues at work in British society that have now become more pressing and prevalent. The most obvious is lack of support for health workers, some of whom themselves fall into the vulnerable category. Still hugely overworked and underfunded, the NHS has been the backbone of the country for the last 18 months, but how will we choose to regard the health services in the future? Does returning to 'normal' include continuing to disregard the pressing requirement for more funding, for fixing staffing issues, for a greater appreciation for nurses, doctors and paramedics? Or will we return to draining our most valuable resources to the bone until we find we need them again?

In my experience, the issues the UK already has with intolerance have been grossly exacerbated as a direct result of this pandemic. I've observed a culture of blame in our current society, whether that be directed towards the government, the youth or the vulnerable, and this serves only to breed anger and individualism. On the other hand, beautiful stories of people learning to adapt to a new way of virtual learning, working and living, people taking time out of their days to shop for vulnerable friends, family, neighbours, even strangers, and a new appreciation for loved ones have emerged from the dark depths of this time. As well as this, the Covid-19 pandemic has been a lesson in how to slow down. In a success-driven society, being forced to stop and shake up the way we live and work has provided us with opportunities to re-assess ourselves.

Therefore, I think aiming to return to the way we were two years ago is a missed opportunity. It's a missed opportunity for our own happiness and tolerance, a missed opportunity to slow society down and focus on conserving and protecting ourselves and our planet rather than our destructive habits of the past. Even if society as a whole determines to regress, I challenge you to try and learn from this pandemic and move forward in an introspective, positive and progressive way.