A number of social activities have moved online because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and they might remain in the virtual world long after the pandemic threat subsides. Some social activities are particularly challenging to conduct virtually, including sporting events, tourism, and restaurant dining, though entrepreneurs are successfully developing new and creative uses of technology to compensate. Other activities can be more readily conducted online, such as job interviews and fund-raising, though the technological interface removes a crucial element of human connection.

As social interactions move into a digital format for which society was not prepared, what are the opportunities and challenges? What will happen to government services, public expectations, and the social contract? Are we facing a generational divide between those raised before COVID-19 and those raised after?

Join the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations and the Dubai Public Policy Research Center (b’huth) for an exploration of social changes brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic.