[astrobe_]

I think the pandemic had nothing to do with that except maybe that it served as a trigger for you or others. Plenty of people got hooked on programming in normal and peaceful times, with plenty of addictive distractions around - be it chess, reading, popular sports, Pokemon, movies, etc. Not everyone is interested in, or has the patience for, programming. You see its potential and what you could do with it, they see it as a chore better left to people who like that kind of stuff.