55 MAGAZINE the connected world has gotten out of hand. Is disconnection even possible anymore? Or has a disconnected state of being become inconceivable? Levels of anxiety are on the rise, to such an extent that deaths due to depression outnumber deaths due to obesity. What would the ideal Teleworking Act look like? Is the home office the new normal? There is no doubt that companies will carry on teleworking into 2021. Are our homes prepared for that? Do we have the tools and the space? Technology simulates physical presence so closely that we can no longer tell whether we are actually present or not. More and more of our interactions occur through an electronic wall. Zoom birthdays? Videoconference weddings? Funerals over Skype? Are we really there, or are we merely simulating presence? Over the last 20 years, a debate has raged, especially in academic circles, regarding the need to reassess STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines and their relative importance versus humanitarian disciplines, including the arts and social sciences. Are we generating that debate about new forms of leadership, colored by 21st century technological and social advancements? One could say COVID-19 is a technological catalyst. That is to say, the pandemic accelerated processes that we, as a society, had been putting off. I propose we hold fast to that path, learn from our mistakes, stop waiting for the crisis to end, and transform our processes for good. We should create prototypes to improve processes for the future. We should stop resisting forward motion. I personally believe that leading society into the future will require top-notch critical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Cognitive skills must be incentivized, skills far beyond the scope of technological tools. A multidisciplinary approach will prove key. At the end of this crisis, we will all have antibodies (so to speak). Surviving this moment will teach us lessons that previous generations never had the opportunity to learn. We will find ourselves more united in so many ways. The age of individualism has ended, and a time of teamwork is beginning. With all that in mind, I propose that our goal should be a compromise. Our lives can be significantly improved by technology without sacrificing all that which makes us happy, such as dinner with friends or meetings with real, not simulated, eye contact. There are many lenses through which one can view any situation. I believe that this pandemic has given us an opportunity. And you? Through what lens will you choose to observe? COVID-19 is a technological catalyst. That is to say, the pandemic accelerated processes that we, as a society, had been putting off