Covid-19 : Has the Break Down of Society and Community Begun?

Dystopia and apocalypse are common themes in fiction, for many alive today Covid-19 is the first real taste of such a global catastrophe, the removal of social and stable norms of life, the dramatic secession of normal work routine and the imposition of lockdown put a massive strain on society; I have lived this.

And today ask Was That The Start Of the End Of An Era?  An era where you had relative silence from neighbours, a time where you had rules of sleep at night, work in the day broken irreparable, a time when pub, club, entertainment shifted unending from going to be entertains over to remaining at home to be entertained and that leaking out of your space into that of others?

Of course this is a subjective and very personal question, your mileage may very well vary.

However, I have had the vast number of reports from friends and coworkers that their personal space has been irreparably invaded by the actions and selfish nature of others.  I myself have lived this nightmare.

With social norms broken certain people seem to accept that they are going to party at home, be entertained at home, be themselves however they wish that means drink, drugs, music and other people - despite the lockdown.

For us this happened at two different properties (yes we moved) at the first people in the high vulnerability groups were happily accepting visits and then also crossing over visiting each other, in one case over 70's were receiving their grand children, who were out playing in the street with other children, and then they would walk into the houses of other over 70's... And then these self same idiots would ask "Why are we getting sick?"

In the second this happened because our neighbour, she wanted her drink, drugs, music and sex at full on volume, and literally said to me "I'm just trying to have a bit of fun".

So that's cause, people doing whatever they want, despite social restrictions, law and quite obvious risk and disturbance they are causing others who are similarly struggling to find some semblance of peace in these trying times.

How does that then convert into the break down of society?

Well, the agencies charged with resolving these issues, the police, the district and county councils, all seem extremely toothless.  Even in one situation we resorted to the extreme of a private prosecution; WHICH WE WON.  And the court was toothless to enforce anything.

People annoying others, loosing court cases, breaking the law and yet council police and commonsense do not reel them in?  What can?

Well, I believe violence, frustrated in such situations something has to give, you deprive your neighbour of sleep for a month and they will snap, they will be extremely antagonised, doubly so when they have spoken to you and tried to talk over the issue before all the other agencies were involved.

That is the first crack, the first chink in the armour of the old social norms breaking down, and I believe anyone in a property with an attached neighbour, a flat or any other con-joined property can and will run into this, but since Covid I think they'll run into this far more often.