10 Ways Life Changed In California In 2020

CALIFORNIA — And 2020's hottest club was — you guessed it — your couch. Remember when it used to be socially unacceptable to cancel plans and binge Netflix all weekend? Well, thanks to a year called 2020, which felt more like a decade, the way we did just about everything went out the window.

Coronavirus, and maybe perhaps our inability to stay away from each other, took it all away from us. And as 2021 looms, cases are surging more than ever in California. While the New Year doesn't look to bring much promise in terms of an immediate "return to normal," there have been some positive changes to our society — although we realize that taking happy hour away doesn't sound positive.

Remember live concerts? Going to a yoga class? Buffets? — Bowling? And can you even imagine doing any of those things, like tomorrow, without hesitation? Well, neither can we but we thought for some reason, you'd like to review all of the ways life changed in 2020 for Californians.

But if you're already depressed enough, maybe check out this story instead: 10 Stories That Warmed Our Hearts In 2020: California Smiles.

For the rest of you brave souls, here are the top 10 biggest lifestyle changes Californians adjusted to in 2020:

1. Remote work vs. essential work in the Golden State

After the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic came down like a sneaker wave, those who were lucky enough to be able to work from home are likely still doing so. Meanwhile everyone else — grocery store workers, firefighters, restaurant servers, nurses, etc — became front-line, essential workers. Others lost their jobs completely.

And while many workers will inevitably return to brick and mortar as restrictions lift again, Stanford University Economist Nicholas Bloom has said that the newly identified "working-from-home economy" is likely to stick.

"The stigma associated with working from home prior to COVID-19 has disappeared," Bloom told Stanford News in June. "...And a number of corporations are developing plans for more work-from-home options beyond the pandemic."

Based on his research, Bloom believes that 2020 will leave a lasting mark on where and when we work.

"Of the dozens of firms I have talked to, the typical plan is that employees will work from home one to three days a week, and come into the office the rest of the time," Bloom said.

And while the news cycle tends to focus on those working from home, employees of California's robust hospitality industry are among those, including gym and yoga studio owners, that really suffered in 2020.

2. The increased awareness of public health

Can you remember any other year in the last decade that had you tapping your smartphone 27 times a day to look for updates from Cal Fire, Gov. Gavin Newsom, or the California Department of Public Health? Okay, that one year we had the Ebola scare was a little hair-raising, but most of us forgot about it in a few weeks.

In 2020, a myriad of public health terms became almost blasé — PPE, flattening the curve, social distancing, herd immunity, PCR, rapid antigen testing, contract tracing, yadda, yadda. And don't get us started on 2020's catastrophic fire season in California, and its subsequent health effects on communities statewide.

"Public health has an invisibility crisis," Dr. Umair Shah, executive director of the Harris County Public Health Department in Houston, told The Nation's Health. "For too long...public health has been like the offensive line in American football: No one pays attention to the linemen unless the quarterback is sacked or something else goes wrong."

And the pandemic not only piqued our interests in protecting our roommates or our families from getting sick, but it also forced us to consider the well-being of those in neighborhoods far from our own.

Some would say the pandemic has spurred something of a "wake-up call" to foster more equitable health care.

"I lived in Houston during Katrina and can still see the faces of the people affected by that hurricane," Melissa Bondy, Ph.D., professor and chair of the department of epidemiology and public health, told Scope, Stanford Medicine's journal. "Now, we're confronted by COVID-19's inequitable impact. We're also witnessing an awakening to racial justice. These factors make it clear that we're not just fighting the COVID-19 pandemic; we're fighting the pandemic of systemic racism."

3. So, COVID-19 walks into a bar...

Anyone in California can probably say they haven't saddled up to an actual indoor bar, shoulder to shoulder with others, since early March. These beloved, albeit loud and crowded spaces have become a distant memory we only see played out in all those Netflix shows we're binging.

These were the places we "networked," flocked to happy hour after work and probably would have spent New Year's Eve sipping champagne — and/or a Bloody Mary the following day.

But as it turns out, these halls of merrymaking are just vectors for disease.

While many bars were able to partially reopen outdoors under the guise of eateries as state-guided reopenings allowed, they were all, once again, forced to close their doors, and default to takeout services as the latest Regional Stay-At-Home order came down in December.

And thus, back in spring of 2020, the state bestowed upon us the blessing of the "to-go" cocktail, allowing some to still enjoy those craft drinks we're just not going to attempt making at home. But this of course did not offset the costs of maintaining bars and their staff, most of whom, have been off-and-on out of a job since March.

It remains to be seen just when and how many of these establishments will be able to bounce back in the seemingly distant post-COVID-19 era.

4. Working at home...with our kids

The year 2020 not only forced us to transform our homes into workable offices, but for a huge population, that home office also had to double as an elementary school classroom.

Since March, adults weren't the only ones forced to say goodbye to their peers in the flesh, many children in California have had to adjust to distance or remote learning. Meanwhile, public and private schools that were able to apply for a waiver did welcome kids back to an in-person class, but classes were smaller and masks became part of the dress code.

For those of us working from home, we've all given the understanding nod to our fellow coworkers, as a loose child dashed by in the background of a Zoom meeting. Any corporate stigma that ever existed around blending work life with family is effectively fading away.

And while this has inevitably brought families closer together during such sour times, some experts have said it has disrupted our productivity.

"Working from home with your children is a productivity disaster,” Bloom told Stanford News in late March. "My 4-year-old regularly bursts into the room hoping to find me in a playful mood shouting 'doodoo!' – her nickname for me – in the middle of conference calls."

Children have also suffered as a result of the shutdowns, with those who already struggled with a learning disability or depression before the pandemic, impacted the most.

"Children with special needs, are experiencing similar challenges (as their peers) but with greater intensity and with fewer personal resources to manage the stress of these challenges," Heidi Feldman, a professor of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Stanford University's School of Medicine, told Psychology Today.

5. Goodbye festivals and concerts — hello live-stream

The year 2020, for the most part, forced us to wave goodbye to any prospects of catching a live show at the Hollywood Bowl, attending Coachella (remember when that was shocking?), and even our precious California New Year's tradition, the Rose Bowl and parade.

This year the Tournament of Roses will offer a two-hour produced special aired on television. Even still, nothing matches up to the live and festive Pasadena parade.

In 2020, any event that once gathered mass crowds, or even small groups, transitioned to a live-stream format, or turned into a "Zoom party."

But the Golden State is known for its storied large scale concerts that draw musicians from around the world each year, and the pandemic failed to completely halt those prospects as several venues statewide opened up to allow for drive-in concerts.

Ventura, Riverside, San Diego and Los Angeles all opened fairgrounds and various parking lots over the summer to introduce said car concerts.

But like everything else, as we march onto uncertain grounds in 2021, concerts, especially at indoor venues in California, are likely to be one of the last past-times to re-enter our lives.

6. Entering public spaces with a bare face

Picture this: You've just locked the door to your home, gotten into your car, and realized that you've forgotten your mask. Actually, you don't even have to picture it, because we've all done it.

California's hottest 2020 accessory was the face mask, and the "trend" will definitely hold up in 2021. At first, some of us were reluctant to spend money on fashionable masks — ones that match your shoes, leopard print, what have you — because we won't need these for much longer right? Wrong.

California is among 38 U.S. states plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico that require face coverings in public, AARP reported. Some groups in regions of California, like Orange County, have attempted to protest the mandate to wear a mask in public, but it seems that they are here to stay.

7. Don't go outside, actually do — it's good for your mental health

March was a bit chaotic in terms of getting a grip on what we were and weren't allowed to do. And for Golden State residents, that really caused a kerfuffle when we were told we couldn't walk on the beach, surf or go for a hike.

California happens to be home to nine national parks, more than any other state, plus 133 state parks. As an international surf destination, we have world-class point breaks and a sprawling coastline of sandy beaches; we've got mountains with famous hiking and backpacking trails. But in the spring of 2020, some counties in and around metropolitan areas closed many of those state treasures.

This was in part due to the mass crowds who suddenly flocked to the beach when the restaurants and bars closed as it was the only place left to gather in public. Officials also initially opted for a mass closure of just about everything due to the sheer lack of information about a virus we virtually knew zilch about.

But this time around, when Newsom dropped the proverbial hammer yet again in response to a winter coronavirus surge, state officials relaxed restrictions around nature areas upon the realization that, if executed safely, our trails and beaches can actually boost our mental health.

"Members of the same household are encouraged to maintain physical and mental health by safely going to a park, a beach, hike, walk, or bike ride with members of their own household," according to California's website.

"Go for a walk or a bike ride, keeping a safe distance from others," Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti tweeted in early December. "We will get through this."

8. Movie theaters vs. Netflix

Remember the cinema? The buttery aroma of popcorn, surround-sound, sitting in a dark room with total strangers — the annoying glow of someone's iPhone lighting up beside you — okay that last part still happens at home, but you get the point.

Movie theaters, a timeless American tradition, were among the first establishments to close down with little hope of returning. And while theaters had a brief reprieve in some California counties that were able to make it into the red tier of the state's COVID-19 blueprint, they were all forced to close yet again as the winter surge triggered another stay-at-home order.

So, if you didn't have a subscription to Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu or Disney+ before the pandemic, you likely pay for one, if not all of them now.

During the early months of the pandemic, the average American was streaming eight hours of content a day, which is double the amount in the pre-COVID-19 era, according to surveys conducted by OnePoll for streaming service Tubi, the Los Angeles Times reported.

9. Closure of the "happiest place on Earth," among others

The Golden State happens to be home to one of the most famed and beloved theme parks in the world — Disneyland. You've seen the headlines, the devastating news of mass layoffs of park workers, and the fight between Newsom and theme park operators to keep the "happiest place on Earth" open.

Much like restaurants and movie theaters, the park, including California Adventure, had its brief reopening, but it too was forced to close its gates for an uncertain amount of time.

Other large scale theme parks such as Six Flags Magic Mountain, Knott's Berry Farm, Universal Studios, along with smaller local ride parks such as the Santa Monica Pier, have remained empty for months.

Officials have said that theme parks will likely begin to reopen as more Californians become vaccinated, which looks to be as far as summer 2021.

10. Toilet paper became a golden ticket item

If anyone learned anything from this pandemic, or from the year 2020 in general, it was to never let your toilet paper supply run dangerously low ever again. While the weather in California is quite nice year round, no one wanted to stand outside Ralphs or Safeway for hours on end just to hopefully, maybe get your mits on a nice twelve pack — of T.P.

"Panic shopping" became so bad in California that the essential, everyday paper product quickly became a coveted item and a scarce commodity as stores ran out statewide.

Some became so desperate that they resorted to theft. In April, the Port Hueneme Police Department said it busted three Californians in a "heinous toilet paper caper." The three suspects were caught with 31 rolls of stolen toilet paper, 31 towels, 4 sets of bed sheets and 27 tissue boxes in a vehicle in Port Hueneme, police said.

Others, also desperate to remedy the situation, installed bidets in their homes. But even those sold out. A spokesman from the home product company Brondell, which sells a plethora of bidet toilet seats and accessories, told Business Insider in March that the company was selling a bidet on Amazon every two minutes, or about 1,000 units per day.

So please, if you take anything away from 2020, only buy what you need.