2020 was a wild year. When January began, the vast majority of us never anticipated that only a few short months later, the world would be a completely different place. Toilet paper shortages, lockdowns, mask mandates, and a devastating pandemic swept across the globe at a rapid pace. And while COVID certainly hasn’t been eradicated yet, the world has gone “back to normal” more or less.

However, the lasting impacts of the pandemic aren’t going anywhere any time soon. Redditors have recently been discussing things that have never been the same since 2020, so we’ve gathered some of their thoughts down below. Enjoy reading through these replies that might make you miss pre-pandemic life, and be sure to upvote the ones you agree with! 

#1

People. People are so outwardly mean, antagonistic, and proudly uninformed now. We’ve lost all sense of a social contract.

Image credits: polkpanther

#2

Virtual learning did a huge disservice to the youth. We’re going to see the results of that very soon.

Image credits: anonmonagomy

#3

The medical industry. So many got burnt out and left and the shortages are still a huge issue so healthcare is suffering. They deserve the break or need to leave but their absence is causing a huge void.

Edit: the replies to my comment make me want to write thank you notes to all of my doctors. I have a disability that requires a lot of them and while I’m thankful in person to them and their staff, maybe writing thank you in the portals would help – and cards for when I go in person. I appreciate all of you in healthcare for ALL that you do. We need to continue to bang our pots and pans and speak up for better conditions for you all – in every tier of the field in every country because this is universal. You are STILL the heroes.

Image credits: I-Am-Yew

#4

Everyone’s mental health.

Image credits: workingclasslady

#5

Genuine human interaction. Feels weird and technological now.
chronicallyillbrain:
It feels like we all transitioned to being chronically online during quarantine and never fully transitioned back

Image credits: carrovinc

#6

Everything, cost-wise. All companies use “supply chain” issues to drive up their prices and lower the quality of their items.

Image credits: horn_ok_pleasee

#7

Friendships and relationships. The isolation and lack of face-to-face meetings definitely caused some breakups. Might have made some stronger though.
CodeMonkeyPhoto:
Oh I feel this one. We were friends with a couple during the pandemic, but the guy got more and more into conspiracy theories and one’s I never even heard of. He wasn’t full off the deepend like some, but he knew I didn’t agree or beleive him. What is hard is the man was a brilliant marine electronics engineer. Very smart and handy. So we kind of lost touch despite our efforts from our friend group to reach out to them.

Image credits: maverickhunterpheoni

#8

Masks. It used to be we could respectfully wear a mask while we were sick, making sure we didn’t get anyone else sick. Now, here in Texas, we have idiots who will scream at you for wearing a mask. Dude…I’m trying to not get YOU sick. I’m trying to be considerate, but somehow we’ve made that into something political.

Image credits: GamingTrend

#9

Covid ruined the tipping culture. Now I’m expected to tip everyone, everywhere. I’m so sick of having a tablet shoved in my face with tip choices at fast food places.

Image credits: anonymousanomoly83

#10

My bank balance and chance of buying a house. Was making 6 figures in my own business which completely stopped for 15 months making getting a mortgage all but impossible because even though for 8 years I made $10-20k+ more year over year, I didn’t have any income for over a year…

Edit: wanna know the ironic kicker? I work IN real estate, and still can’t get a house.

Image credits: The7footr

#11

I’m pretty sure the stress of covid accelerated my male pattern baldness. Sigh.

Image credits: TheElusiveGnome

#12

People’s trust in healthcare professionals thanks to rapid proliferation of misinformation and an explosion in the number of anti-vaxxers after the release of the vaccine.

Image credits: mhwnc

#13

My faith in the general intelligence and common sense of people.

Image credits: Bods666

#14

IRL Shopping. I went to four different stores (Rite aid, CVS, Safeway, and friggin Walmart) just to get some Neutrogena body wash and the only place that had it was charging like $14 for it. Found it on Amazon for $8, goddamnit.

Image credits: FroggiJoy87

#15

Dating is really weird now compared to before covid. I can’t put my finger on what is different though. I just know the apps are different now.
D**kNose-TurdWaffle:
They monetized the lonely. It’s extremely predatory and sad.

Image credits: echkbet

#16

24-hour stores and supply chains. Even today, more than four years later there’s still things out of stock and hard to find.
m1kz93:
Not only was it 24/7 stores, but also stores that opened at 7am, and closed at 11pm. Now it’s 9am-9pm.

Image credits: llcucf80

#17

Dining out. The bar is so much lower for good food and service now.

Image credits: Sored**kDeal

#18

Social skills. I strongly feel those have plummeted over the pandemic and everybody is okay with acting like a complete maniac sometimes.

#19

The small town vibe and affordability of my area. WFH and retirees moved here, traffic and prices skyrocketed. The chance of me buying a home in my 20s went out the window and I have to fight for my life driving every day. Can’t even enjoy the attractions around town, everything is expensive and overcrowded. My life is work and go home, feels like the pandemic didn’t end in that regard. .

#20

2020 ruined my hot girl summer plans and my relationship with jeans.

Image credits: ShoulderIll2318

#21

Customer service. From phone lines (if they even have them at all) to in person experiences. The in person part is likely to do with people outwardly turning into complete a******s during the pandemic so I can only image what that does to a worker’s mentality. The phone or online part is likely corporate cutbacks. Whatever the exact reasons, we’re probably never going to have even “good” customer service as the baseline ever again.

Image credits: dumpandchange

#22

I feel like people are angrier drivers now, but that is just a gut feeling.
Leeser:
I’ve definitely seen this too. Didn’t think it was possible for people to drive like they cared even less about other people but here we are.

Image credits: rubix_redux

#23

Vaccines.

#24

It ruined trust in western medicine, media, so-called experts and government. Also, some faith in humanity.

#25

Product quality is suddenly gone to s**t and companies don’t care for it.

#26

My trust in the United States government.

#27

The 24 hour food service industry.

#28

Conspiracy theories. They used to be about fun s**t like aliens and lizardmen. Now they’re just self esteem props for the dumbest f***s you went to school with.

#29

City folk here.. clubs / dancing and entertainment took a huge hit. Most of the good places closed and people have no concert / club etiquete anymore. Everybody’s so closed off and cliqued up, or pushy and entitled, messy and rude.

#30

The little library at my office. +/- 140 person office, large break room, a rarely used table in the corner with an empty shelf above it. Years ago someone brought in a few books and stuck them on the shelf. That evolved into a small but active book exchange. Then covid hit. We took turns WFH, half at home while the other half had to come in. Suddenly the shelf filled up, then the table below. Tons of books. Then CDs and DVDs. Then VHS tapes. Cheesy stuff: Richard Simmons Sweatin’ to the Oldies, Jazzercize, ancient Disney movies. The table was soon overflowing, and the boss got pissed that everyone was WFH, cleaning out their closets, and dumping their junk at the office. She stayed late one day (which she NEVER did). The next morning we arrived to find the table cleared off, and the shelf. And just like that, our book exchange was over.

#31

A lot of local businesses, especially small/independent ones. On a personal level, my perception of time. There are a lot of times that i recalled a memory from years ago, or so i thought, but upon checking some pictures it happened more recently than that- and vice versa. A really weird feeling.

#32

Streaming services. The pandemic saw an influx of subscribers and thus and influx of profits. They are still chasing after those profits even though they no longer have the same number of subscribers. Also, the pandemic made every media organization think they should have their own service and as such you now pay more for less content or pay cable like prices across multiple services thereby negating the benefits of chord cutting.

#33

My job of 12 years in the entertainment industry.
BoomaMasta:
Basically the same. I was playing gigs as a freelancer and finally making a living in the six months before COVID shut things down. I’m moving on because it still hasn’t bounced back anywhere near those levels.

#34

Social etiquette. Was already on a decline but that finally took it away.

#35

Ensh**ification is running rampant everywhere. Everything is a subscription model and gig work that got you hooked with quality service and good price. And every 6 months the service gets worse and costs more…extends to everything: food and service is worse for higher prices. Rideshares are harder to find with worse drivers and were back at nearly cab fares. I ordered a 6/10 burger in flipping reno, nevada that was 28 dollars before tax! Grocery stores are pathetic now. 1 check stand open with a line to the back of the store even when you go in at night. It takes 6 months to get into see a specialist doctor even when you have something fairly debilitating going on. Concert tickets are priced insanely even if you can get them before the bots snatch them up minutes after going on sale. Your purchasing power for a house dropped even from 4 years ago the same house that cost 300k now costs 400k. Journalism was dead and buried and is now husking around as a decrepit clickbait ghoul.

#36

Trust in science.

#37

Movies. Theyre all awful since covid.
Customer service.
Food after 9 pm.

#38

All the cheap buffets in Vegas are gone.

#39

My sense of age.
I don’t even know how old I am anymore.
Like ofc I know but it doesn’t feel correct.

#40

A sense of community, both at work and in the general community.

#41

The price for a haircut.

#42

My body lol.

#43

I think the pandemic ruined a lot of things, but one of the worst effects was it made many more people addicted to social media. Imo, social media is this constant whisper in your ear telling you you’re not good enough, you’ll never be successful, and nobody cares about you. I think this constant nagging reminder day after day, year after year makes you less empathetic and more okay with being a total a*****e to others. If nobody cares about you, why should you care about them? It also makes it very easy to view people less as individuals and more as part of a group you don’t like.

#44

Personally, **brain fog:** occassionally forgetting a word while casually speaking; and **phantom smells:** smelling ‘smoke-like’ scents from mild to irritating, which is not being experienced by other people nearby.. frustrating.

#45

Entertainment in general. Streaming was doing well until the pandemic, then it took front and center, bringing ads and other limitations with it. One could say this was inevitable with or without the pandemic, but it feels like a big result of that time period.

I also think the pandemic was the final nail in the coffin for malls, which had already started dying a slow death around 2015.

#46

Shipping costs, and that’s a problem that will never go away.

#47

More self check outs and fewer cashiers and baggers. I shop where I can have a cashier when I have a big shop to do.

#48

It ruined the phrase “avoid it like the plague” because it’s obvious alot folks did not like to avoid plagues.

#49

Dollar menu doesn’t exist anymore. On top of that, fast food isn’t cheap anymore at all. There is absolutely no reason a visit to Mcdonald’s for 1 costs more than $5.

Edit: Pre-pandemic, a hamburger was $0.89 before tax. Now it is $2.19. Is this a joke? Stay in your lane McDonald’s.

#50

*The 2020 pandemic ruined my travel plans, my gym routine, and any chance of figuring out what day of the week it was. Oh, and let’s not forget it turned my living room into my office, gym, and personal anxiety cave.*.

#51

A chance for a fair and reasonable life if you have a regular job.

#52

Everything, seemingly. I think the world actually ended in 2020 and we’re all in hell now but we haven’t figured it out yet.

#53

Manners. No one seems to have any manners- restaurants have feral children running around, movie theaters have people talking through the entire movie.

#54

The price of fitness equipment for home gyms.

#55

About a million lives.

#56

My wife can’t leave the house to do anything anymore. she waits until im home or its my days off. she last about 10 minutes in Walmart before needing to leave.

#57

Journalism.
_Iknoweh_:

I think the decline in trustworthy news started before the pandemic, but boy did it aggravate it.

#58

My entire life. I left my abusive husband just before the pandemic was declared. It had entirely screwed me financially and socially.

#59

Simple social gatherings. Just hanging out with groups of people. Social dinners, going out for a drink.

#60

Everything! Cost of living, cost of cars and houses. Some restaurants are ghost towns more and mainly operate via delivery. Hospitals are not as staffed anymore and nothing changed from Covid, meaning that pay for staff or air quality in hospitals. People are super polarized now and our country is divided and we can’t just get along for the good or the country anymore.

#61

My happiness,I lost my brother ( sepsis) I truly thought we gonna grow old together, The world is such a sad place now,It’s like a heavy wet blanket suffocating whatever reality we had before this pandemic started.

#62

Dressing rooms. Goodwills don’t have them anymore because of “Covid” (I think they use that more as an excuse because people would trash the rooms and its a huge hassle to clean them up, I know I worked in retail). Even though I’m not sure that Covid is the whole reason they’re becoming less and less, its a great excuse for companies like Goodwill, who know say you can only return your items for store credit (if you can return them at all) its greedy and gross. It makes them a lot of money easily, and it was discovered because they were shut down during Covid, which is so dumb because there shouldn’t be more than one person in there at a time anyway and we were disinfecting everything else.

#63

Every high school prom.

#64

Used cars buying experience.

#65

My last tenuous feeling of participation in US culture. It’s so live-and-let-die. I used to think somehow, some way I could help, but nope. I’m old now and nope. I for the moment have the ability to travel so I’m doing that but I can see the world falling apart in front of my eyes, so…I mean…what’s it all for, anyway?

#66

I WANT SOUPLANTATION BACK. Salads, pizza, ice cream. One place. Under $12 for lunch. Peak civilization.

#67

Goddamnit, cherry hibiscus pure leaf iced tea disappeared. It became scarce during the supply chain issues in the first wave, then it disappeared altogether. That was my s**t.

Produce seems like it’s garbage now.

And I swear restaurants started frying with a different oil. It smells different outside of restaurants now.