Abacus | Here are 1.4 billion reasons in Asia to invest in virtual and augmented reality

In Hong Kong we are fortunate to have plenty of young talent attracted by top universities in the region, and a hard-working, industrious population that willingly roll up their sleeves. Our city is exciting and we’re a sociable bunch that likes to get outside, particularly at this time of the year.

Yet Hong Kong residents have had to get used to less outdoor activity thanks to Covid-19, and before it the protests and subsequent clampdowns. Friends have been getting together online whenever they can’t meet up in person, perhaps enjoying a tipple in front of the iPad, and I even got invited to a virtual dance party, which I found a little odd. Participating in online wine tastings or doing my electrocuted octopus dancefloor moves in cyberspace is just not quite the same.

However, I learned something from my children this week that makes me wonder if our preference for going out and about is making us an anomaly compared with trends in other developed economies. It would seem the norms are rapidly changing in favour of people not only working online, but shifting their entire social lives to the internet.