In the great pandemic a factor that will completely change our lives is reduced travel. Fear of face-to-face contact will make us depend more on technology and the internet.

Online markets are growing fast. Applications and devices under development will extend social distance and bring the 'Isolation Economy'. We can take virtual museum tours, for example. We can hold meetings online, learn online and even use an innovative glove that gives a real sense of touch, letting us reach across to the other side of the world.

Remote working innovations will make our lives easier. But they’ll also keep apart human beings, who are social animals, for too long, feeding distrust of outsiders and anxiety on public transport.

Implications for the future

- More people will leave big cities and work online.

- The internet will be essential for everyone at all levels of society.

- Private car use may increase because of anxiety about public transport.