COVID-19 redefines technology and usage obsolescence

The COVID-19 crisis, from 2019 to 2022, profoundly disrupted society. For France as a whole, the crisis was marked by 167,000 deaths and over 650,000 hospitalizations and two periods of confinement accompanied by numerous restrictions on travel and gatherings. It has also led to a significant drop in consumption and a decline in employment, particularly in the tourism – down 33% in 2020 compared to 2019 –, aeronautics, catering and store sales sectors . The health crisis has also led to changes in production and consumption patterns. It has also brought to light a number of malfunctions, both in our consumption patterns and in companies, whether in terms of technology or the supply chain, thus playing a revealing role.

The health crisis has also led to the obsolescence of certain practices in many areas. It has led to major changes in our societal systems and lifestyles. By prompting us to question and challenge our practices, the pandemic represented an opportunity to study the effects of different types of obsolescence, their evolution and their impact. Analyzing these effects is crucial to understanding how and why an object, know-how, lifestyle or system becomes obsolete.

The aim of this article is to examine the impact of COVID-19 on obsolescence, using examples from a variety of fields, and to determine whether or not this crisis has revealed and/or induced obsolescence, not only in the field of technology, but also in the supply chain, which has been hard hit by confinements and reduced flows. The article then turns to the professional world and society, which were also particularly affected by the health crisis, and which are now emerging transformed.