The first would focus on the potential future of public spaces, including the use of technology to monitor people for any signs of illness (and encouraging others to be vigilant for the same). While I understand why they are employed, I feel like it has great potential for misuse. As an example, an article from Technology Review about the lockdown and its effects (my primary inspiration for choosing this topic), mentions that algorithms used by health insurers have been shown to favor white people and questions whether using similar technology for COVID-related purposes could end up discriminating against people with low incomes, among other factors. I absolutely do not want this project to come off as demonizing the thought of having any health-related restrictions at all, but I do wish to explore what corporations or the government could do with that technology and how it would impact a hypothetical future society.
The second avenue I am considering is more personal in scope. It would focus on the possible effects of social isolation on people's mental health. While some people still currently meet in person (with facial coverings, of course), most larger gatherings like class sessions, sporting events, and church meetings have shifted online in some form to limit the amount of people together at once. I aim to explore what would happen if this became the norm even after COVID-19 finally dies down - in particular, I am curious about what a generation that grew up without having known in-person communal gatherings would look like.
In conclusion, there are a number of factors to consider in both appraising the world's current situation and predicting how it could impact our collective future, which is why I think the topic would make for thematically complex artwork.
These are great ideas, Samuel. I'm impressed by your desire to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the post-COVID world. If you have concerns about how contact tracing technology might impinge on personal privacy, you could imagine a world where people are more informed and protective of privacy overall than we currently are. I also think addressing the psychological and emotional impacts of a socially-distanced world is an engaging concept. Looking forward to seeing how this work evolves.
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