The trends of a modern pandemic

Read in Indonesian

We have officially reached the month of September, which means we have lived in the midst of a global pandemic for almost half a year. We have seen religious holidays, Independence Day and school holidays come and go within the past six months. It is getting increasingly difficult to remember how life was before Covid-19.

Initially, we experienced the mania phase, during which we hoarded masks, sanitisers and food supplies. Then came the ‘obedient’ phase, where the majority of Indonesians followed strict large-scale social restrictions. During this phase, the majority of us stayed home and, for the most part, quarantined. The number of reported cases was relatively low during this period.

Then, we entered a transition phase, in which activities and businesses were gradually allowed to resume. Unfortunately, the increasingly relaxed protocols have led to increasingly relaxed attitudes towards COVID-19, which has resulted in a steep increase of new cases. At this point, everybody has set different boundaries for themselves in navigating the pandemic.

The pandemic has changed the world in such a way that we have seen the emergence of trends that are expected to stay for a long time to come. In general, the trends we have seen during this pandemic fall under four main pillars: virtual lifestyle, home-oriented items or activities, wellness and kindness economy. These pillars are not mutually exclusive and may affect one another.

First, we have become much more reliant on virtual assistance. The restrictions forced on us have led us to live a ‘virtual reality,’ with a lot more time spent online. We now work, learn, shop and spend our leisure time online. This, in turn, causes new trends to emerge online too.

Online products that became trendy during the course of this pandemic include applications (i.e. TikTok, Gartic), games (i.e. Animal Crossing), social media memes (i.e. Instagram Bingos, #untiltomorrow challenge), TV shows (i.e. Tiger King on Netflix) and new practices, such as virtual photo shoot. TikTok is perhaps the defining online trend of this period, as its popularity grew beyond its main audience of Gen-Z.

Even culinary trends are affected by our new online reality. A lot of recently popular F&B items were first introduced on social media, such as TikTok or Instagram. The famous whipped or Dalgona coffee that went viral was one of them. Another would be the Insta-famous Korean garlic cheese bread.

Speaking of food, a lot of these F&B trends not only prompt people to shop, but also to make their own food. This nicely segues into our next trend pillar: home-oriented items or activities. Chances are we have seen a handful of friends turn into home master chefs or master bakers during the pandemic. If not that, we must have seen our friends, family, or even ourselves become plant people.

More time spent at home means people need to start looking for activities that can be done at home or enrich their home. Baking, cooking, growing and caring for plants, home decorating, along with making tie dye crafts, are some of the most popular.

Next, as this pandemic forces people to be more conscious of their health and wellness, the topic of wellness has become a mainstay in the last few months. Healthier habits and dietary choices have become more popular as people seek to maintain and improve their health and immune system.

Healthy diets serve multiple purposes, as a strengthened immune system can help prevent illness and makes recovery easier. Since the start of lockdown, the natural products industry has gained over 15 million new customers. It is also reported that there is growing demand for plant-based food and high quality private labels. This shift in lifestyle is expected to outlast the pandemic itself.

Now, unless we have been living under a rock, we surely cannot miss the ‘gowes’ or cycling trend that has swept the nation. Brompton bikes, which have gotten so popular in Indonesia that consumers have had to resort to illegal ways to obtain them, is an integral part of this trend. But this trend is bigger than that, as people are now more interested in meditation and exercising at home too.

Last but not least, we are introduced to the concept of ‘kindness economy,’ in which consumers are more alert to how businesses are treating their workers and the planet. This is perceived as more than a trend, but a change in mindset that is expected to continue developing post-coronavirus.

Moreover, there is a growing desire to shop and wear local, which is reflected in products consumers buy (i.e. artisanal or locally sourced) and the way they shop (i.e. supporting community stores).

These four pillars affect trends across industries. The architecture field, for example, is highly affected by the home-oriented activities trend. Urban farming spaces and dedicated work stations at home are among the projected architecture trends expected to gain popularity in the coming years.

The influence of these trend pillars are also evident in the fashion industry. Personal protective gears, such as face masks and face shields, have evolved from being hygiene items to fashion statements. Global and local brands are coming out with their own face mask designs, including luxury fashion house Burberry.

Meanwhile, loungewear has become a hot fashion commodity lately, mainly for its versatility; the clothes are comfortable enough to be worn at home, but also presentable enough to be worn during a quick grocery trip. These fashion examples in particular are affected by the wellness and home-oriented activities trend pillars.

While these trends may have been born out of a pandemic, it does not mean they will die once the pandemic is over. One thing is for sure: this pandemic will not leave our world in the same condition as it found it. Businesses need to keep a watchful eye on these trends so as not to miss out on opportunities.

Over the past six months, we have watched many things went viral in Indonesia. We listed two of the most talked-about topics or items in each month.

March
Dalgona Coffee: Easy, three-ingredient whipped coffee that gave us instant coffee with café-esque aesthetics. The Dalgona period marked the early days of the pandemic.

Instagram Bingo: There were so many bingos that we had to prioritise which ones to post. Surely, we were not that bored. Or at least we did not want to appear so.

April
Animal Crossing: A game that allows us to create and manage a virtual world of our own while our actual world is dealing with an unprecedented challenge.

Tiger King: Between the big cats, the fashion, the hairstyles and the mystery of Carole Baskin’s husband’s disappearance, consider us hooked.

May
‘Kopi Literan’: As we observed the holy month of Ramadhan in the midst of a pandemic, 1L bottled coffee was a popular option for personal consumption at home and holiday hampers.

Plants: We all have friends who became plant people in May. We are now living in a more green-thumbed Indonesia.

June
‘Keke Bukan Boneka’: Whether you love or hate Kekeyi, her debut single was a catalyst for a deeper conversation about fame, plagiarism and online bullying.

Garlic cheese bread: It is delicious, relatively easy to make and it is Korean! All the components needed for a food item to go viral in 2020.

July
Brompton Bikes: Indonesia became so Brompton-crazed that Brompton stores in Germany closed down. Indonesians have allegedly bought out all the bikes.

Loungewear: The ultimate pandemic outfit. Comfortable, stylish and Zoom-friendly.

August
The Commemorative IDR75,000 note: Get one for yourself at https://pintar.bi.go.id/ if you have not.

Drive-in cinema/concert: Because this pandemic is now mature enough for us to conduct a proper socially distanced live event. And frankly, we have been longing for live entertainment after months of deprivation.