Digital Technologies Trends during COVID-19
Covid-19 spread has impacted people’s lives, altering how they live and what they do regularly. The pandemic is sweeping the world, people are locked into their four walls. But throughout the lockdowns and quarantines, technologies have played a great deal in keeping our social life normal.
We will all agree that the covid-19 pandemic has made everyone go digital in a way. It has accelerated the advances in digital technologies that were once imaginary goals. People of civil society are performing their daily chores through the use of technologies in this time of crisis. In no particular sequence, below are some of the digital technology trends that emerged during Covid-19.
1. Distance Learning
Coronavirus outbreak disrupted the education of 1.57 billion students all over the world. Due to the sudden closures of schools, many educational institutions began providing courses online. Distance learning guaranteed that no students suffered due to covid-19 restrictions. Virtual reality, 3D printing, and robot teachers using artificial intelligence are among the technologies used in distant learning.
2. Online shopping
There is a rapid shift of the world towards an online platform because of covid-19. It has changed online shopping behaviors from need-to-have to a must-have all over the world. This pandemic has pushed people to make their services online. People order products on social media through their mobile devices. This means everything is available in their hands. Also, many use robot delivery systems for the delivery of online orders to avoid physical contact.
3. Digital payments
While online shopping is becoming a way of social distancing with people during these tough times, many countries have implemented digital payment strategies. The use of digital payment methods doesn’t require an exchange of cash hence avoiding the spread of the covid-19 virus. These payments can be done through mobile devices in just a few clicks.
4. Remote Work
A large portion of the population has been unable to travel to work to prevent the virus from spreading. This has resulted in finding alternatives. Many companies have implemented work-from-home policies for their employees. Remote work provides more flexibility to employees as well as employers. Technologies such as VPNs, VoIPs, cloud tech, facial recognition technologies are required to enable remote work.
5. Supply chain
The worldwide supply chain has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Some factories have been shut down altogether due to quarantine and distance measures. The existing system is vulnerable to pandemics due to its heavy reliance on paper-based records, lack of data visibility, and lack of diversity and flexibility. By improving data accuracy and increasing data exchange, Big Data, cloud computing, Internet-of-Things, and blockchain are helping to construct a more resilient supply chain management system for the future.
6. Telehealth
One of the many tech trends amidst the pandemic is telehealth. While providing vital primary care, telehealth can be an efficient strategy to prevent the transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wearable IoT devices can monitor vital indicators. Patients can use chatbots to make initial diagnoses based on their symptoms.
7. Online entertainment
The impact of the covid-19 pandemic is seen among all age groups as they are deprived of their social life. Everyone turns on their digital technologies for a source of entertainment. Social media applications and sites have made the world a smaller place. People can connect from any corner around the globe and spend quality time as if they were together in a room. Online games, watch-together parties, online streaming facilities have reduced physical interaction without compromising the fun since the outbreak.
8. AI and Machine Learning
The emerging technologies Artificial Intelligence and machine learning are one of the fastest-growing tech trends impacting the digital sector as a whole. Businesses have turned to AI and machine learning in the time of the spread of the covid-19 virus to make use of their data. AI-empowered systems help gain insights on business development. With these solutions equipped, artificial intelligence creates opportunities for people searching for jobs and financial advisors in wealth management services.
COVID-19 has proved the value of digital preparedness, which allows business and life to go on as usual — to the extent possible — during pandemics. According to the BBC, COVID-19 will cause 200 million people to lose their jobs. And the most disadvantaged members of society bear the brunt of the financial burden. Thanks to digital technologies, human jobs have been rapidly changing as a result of digitization and pandemics. These emerging digital technologies have made a positive impact on people and eased the lives of individuals with disabilities.