NewGoalsandNewImpetusHittingtheResetButton:LivesandLivelihoodsAfterCOVID-19_GuangmingOnlineNewGoalsandNewImpetusHittingtheResetButton:LivesandLivelihoodsAfterCOVID-19ProfessorAndrewThompsonPandemicdiseasesareinherentlyglobal,andCovid-19isaboveallaglobalcrisisdemandingglobalthinking.WhileCovid-19issomewhereintheworld,itremainsathreattousall.Aroundtheworldthepandemichasalsotriggeredawaveofsocialexperimentswithnewwaysoflivingandworkingonavastscale.Whatisthefutureofmoneywhenoverrecentmonthswehavemovedtoalargelycashlesseconomy?Whatisthefutureoftheofficewhensomanyofushavebeenworkingremotelyfromhome?Whatisthefutureofthehighstreetorshoppingmallwhenconsumptionhassuddenlyshiftedon-line?GovernmentspendingasaconsequenceofCovid-19ishigherthanduringtheGlobalFinancialCrisis.Solvingahealthproblemhascreatedaneconomicproblemthelikesofwhichthemajorityofushaveneverexperiencedbefore.TheIMFandOECDhaveevencomparedtheimpendingcontractionorrecessionwiththeGreatDepressionof1929-31ortheGreatFrostof1706.TheWTOsaysCovid-19willdepressworldtradebyuptoonethirdin2020.Ascountriesopenupatdifferentspeeds,howisthepandemicsettoredefinetheglobaleconomy?Digital-savvyfirmshavesofaremergedasthewinners.iQIYIhasseena23%increaseinthenumberofitssubscriberscomparedwiththesameperiodlastyear.Willnewtechnologybethethingthatgetsusbackonourfeetinapost-Coronavirusworld?Ifso,whicharetherighttechnologiestoinvestinforeconomicrecoveryandforsocietalresilienceagainstfutureshocks?Ifthereisasectorofoureconomiesthathasbroughtintosharpreliefthecontoursofwhatthe“newnormal”afterthepandemicmaylooklikeitistheculturalandcreativeindustries.Ontheonehand,Covid-19representsanunprecedentedblowtoourculture.Afewmonthsagothedoorsclosedontheatres,galleries,museums,librariesandconcerthalls.They’renotexpectedtore-openuntiltheendoftheyear,perhapslater.Ontheotherhand,wehavewitnessedanunprecedentedexpansionoflivestreaming,digitalofferingsandon-linecontentfrommanyoftheworld’sleadingculturalinstitutions.Wecannowseeattheclickofabuttonthemanytreasurestheyhavetooffer.Meanwhilecomputergames,subscriptionvideoondemand,anddigitalandrecordedmusichaveseenpositiverevenueandaudiencegrowth.Duringaperiodofenforcedisolationplayershavesoughtrefugeinthebuildingofon-linefriendshipsprovidedbycomputergames.InChina,themobilesgame“CombatofHero”,producedbyByteDance,becamethemostdownloadedfreeiosestitleinJapanfor4consecutivedaysduringMarch.Atfirstsightitmayseemtheworldwasactivelyconspiringforustobeathomeoverthelasttwentyyears–lettersreplacedbyemail,visitstotheshopbyon-lineordering,anightataconcertbythestreamingofmusicviaoursmartphoness.Butnotallformsofculturehavebeenabletomigratetotechnology-enabledplatforms.Thedigitaldomainmayextendculturalexperiencesinallsortsofways,butitisn’tasubstituteforliveperformance.Andhereinliestheproblem:manyofourculturalinstitutionsexpecttobeamongthelasttosafelyre-opentheirdoorsonthelongjourneyoutoflockdown.Whatwillhappentotheupandcominggenerationofactors,artists,musicians,andwriterswhoarewaitingtoplayandperform,toexhibitandtour,andtoengageagainwithliveaudiences?Governmentrescuepackagesmayprovideabridgebeyondlockdowntodrylandontheotherside.Statestimulusaloneisunlikely,however,toprovidethewholeanswer.Governmentswillhavetohittheresetbuttoninotherways.Publicly-fundedRDiswidelyrecognisedtohaveakeyroletoplayinbringingeconomiesoutofhibernation.Investinginresearchisalreadydrivingforwardinnovationinnewdigitaltechnologiesandtheculturalcontentuponwhichthosetechnologiesdepend.Emergingfromthiscrisistherewillbealadderoflearningasregardswhathasandhasn’tworkedculturallyinthedigitalsphereandwhy.Allofthecountriesopeningbackupareengagedinvastanddangerousexperiments.Howdifferentwilltheeconomythatreturnsbetotheonethatjustclosed?Thereisrightlymuchtalkofthegreeneconomyreducingenvironmentalrisks.AstheNobelprizewinner,PaulKrugman,hasrecentlyremindedus,theeconomy’spurposeisnotsimplytogenerateincomesbuttoimprovethequalityoflife.Inthepost-pandemicrecovery,prioritisingtheculturalsectorandthecreativeindustriesisamatteroflivesaswellaslivelihoods.Duringthiscrisiswehavefallenbackoncultureforcomfortandconsolation,tohelpusseebeyondthetimesinwhichwelive,andtokeepalivethevalsuesthatmakeushuman.Iftoughpolicyandspendingchoicesarenowtobemade,wewoulddowelltokeepthosethingsfirmlyinmind.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.