The COVID -19 pandemic has continued to impact many people’s social and economic activities worldwide. To adapt to the new norm, people have turned to digital technologies. This has generated a surge in the use of technology to carry out day-to-day activities that were previously done physically (Vaishya et al., 2020). People have been forced to adapt to new ways of doing business, studying, working remotely, and even communicating with loved ones to ensure social distancing, containing the disease. This paper will elaborate on how technology has offered hope in the middle of a pandemic that has negatively affected so many lives.
Education was brought to a standstill when the pandemic began, with many schools, colleges, and universities sending students home. Students and lecturers had to shift to an online mode of transacting. Most classes were moved to audio and video –conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Go to meeting, and Google meet. Some institutions, such as the University of Cambridge and California State University, are now fully transitioning into online classes, with the exception of classes that require physical presence (Garfin, 2020). Being at home has inspired millions of people to enroll for online classes on massive open online courses (MOOCs) on platforms such as edEX and Coursera.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Technology has also been used to educate, warn, and spread accurate information regarding the pandemic. At the onset of the pandemic, misinformation regarding the symptoms, fatalities, diagnosis, and treatment options created panic and anxiety worldwide since it was a new disease. However, sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Google, and YouTube have enabled millions of people globally to access the right information verified by the World Health Organization or local health authorities and flagging off conspiracy theories and false information. Technology through Artificial Intelligence (AI) is playing a crucial role in finding an effective treatment and vaccine for the virus (De’ et al., 2020). AI suggests components of a potential vaccine by understanding the virus’s protein structure. Other major emerging technologies applied are cloud computing for data storage in hospitals, telemedicine to help patients access health care professionals through video calls, and blockchain, whose algorithm helps provide real-time information on traceability of the disease to critical partners (Vaishya et al., 2020). The use of technology during the pandemic has improved health care systems.
Another shift caused by the COVID-19 pandemic was working remotely while still maintaining the performance level in the office, classrooms, or even laboratories. Remote working by the use of technology became a necessary solution to the stay-at-home orders and lockdowns imposed by different governments. Many companies were able to cut costs on organizational resources, creating better employee satisfaction (Xiao & Fan, 2020) . The cost reduction was necessary as many businesses were looking to combat losses made after the pandemic erupted. The use of audio and video conferencing platforms to hold meetings helped companies to stay afloat by ensuring that employees worked seamlessly from home. Businesses have also been forced to move to online marketplace platforms to ensure that customers access their services from home. Online shopping subsequently led to a surge in digital and contactless payments to avoid the spread of the virus.
COVID-19 has demonstrated the need for digital and technological readiness in all aspects of our life. The demand for technology and the need for secure digital infrastructure is most likely to increase moving forward. The heavy reliance on technology may persist long after the pandemic is over as the new ways of life have proven to be more comfortable and possible. Therefore, it is important for people to learn how to leverage on the benefits of technology and manage the negative effects caused by overuse. The current crisis provides opportunities for individuals to explore and research best practices towards expanding better and practical use of technology.
References
De’, R., Pandey, N., & Pal, A. (2020). Impact of digital surge during Covid-19 pandemic: A viewpoint on research and practice. International Journal of Information Management , 55 , 102171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102171
Garfin, D. (2020). Technology as a coping tool during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID ‐ 19) pandemic: Implications and recommendations. Stress and Health , 36 (4), 555-559. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2975
Vaishya, R., Haleem, A., Vaish, A., & Javaid, M. (2020). Emerging technologies to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology , 10 (4), 409-411. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jceh.2020.04.019
Xiao, Y., & Fan, Z. (2020). 10 tech trends getting us through the COVID-19 pandemic . World Economic Forum. Retrieved 4 January 2021, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/10-technology-trends-coronavirus-covid19-pandemic-robotics-telehealth/.
