In this reflective episode, Michelle and Patrick explore the lasting social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, five years on from the first lockdown.

With honesty, humour, and insight, they unpack how our communication habits have shifted and what we risk losing if we don’t reclaim the art of real conversation.

Key talking points are: -

🗓️ Looking Back: Five Years Since Lockdown A trip down memory lane to 2020 to those surreal months staying home adjusting to isolation.

💬 Has the Art of Conversation Declined? From Zoom meetings to Snapchat voice notes and self-service checkouts, is digital convenience leaving human interaction behind?

👥 Generational Divide

• Midlifers, found relief in slowing down, embracing the “permission to pause.”
• Gen Z and Alphas, however, spent formative years in isolation, missing out on key social development. Many young people now feel anxious about phone calls or unfamiliar conversations despite constant “chatting” online.
• Elderly impact of losing the power of simple interactions as a result of tech takeover.

💼 Changing Work Culture has the rise of tech replaced real, meaningful workplace connection? Hybrid models are here to stay but what did we lose and gain?

• Decline of spontaneous “watercooler chats” affecting collaboration, confidence, and creativity.
• Zoom fatigue & virtual frustration - Michelle and Patrick share personal experiences of disconnection and the limits of online communication.

🏙️ The New Normal the growth of co-working spaces and companies like Adidas doubling down on in-person culture, highlights our need for human contact.

👁️ Why Face-to-Face Still Matters

· The role of hospitality & performing arts: How real-world experiences shape communication skills and confidence in young people.

· Eye contact, body language, the magic of spontaneous moments can’t be replicated with social media "likes", emojis or voice notes.

📢 Call to Action: Intentional Interaction - Michelle and Patrick urge listeners to reconnect, make time for good conversation and actively seek out uplifting social connections. Stop putting off the coffee meetups, the catch-up calls, and those awkward but essential conversations.

Let's "Talk on to Walk on" with Michelle and Patrick and see where it leads...

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