The worldwide lockdown was imposed following the novel coronavirus pandemic. Over 9 month’s lockdown brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic has struck people in a painfully long period of isolation. For months cities turned to ghost towns. Social distancing seems to be hitting people even more than the scare of the deadly virus. Information and Communication Technology has been playing a vital role in bringing people closer virtually in the hard times of pandemic social distancing.
Reynu heads the HR department of a German-based company. After pandemic lockdown, she has been working from home. Now, she performs her daily professional duties through video meetings, conference calls, etc. Her job profile hasn’t changed but she had to do it through the virtual mode on webinars.
Ratnesh, an undergraduate student was preparing for his semester-end exams when COVID-19 pandemic lockdown was imposed. His exams were cancelled and he was promoted to next semester based on his previous semester performance. Now, his online classes for the new semester have started. He even submits his online assignments too through the laptop.
Shalaka, running hobby classes of Art & Craft at home before lockdown. She had to stop all her classes. After a month, she tried to take the help of technology. She learned how to conduct online classes, and started her classes again on the virtual platform through her iPhone.
These real stories of different age groups and backgrounds show that people across the world during lockdown have rescripted their day to include professional responsibilities, learning new skills household chores, and so on. They have found out the ways to make the most trying time useful. Technology played a major role in this process.
Internet and digital devices like smartphones, laptops, and tabletop computers are helping people to optimize the work from home setup and providing more possibilities for returning to their businesses. Today, we can’t even imagine a single moment without the internet and our smartphones or similar type of devices that enable us in our social and professional communication. This article presents the 10 ways of how the internet and digital devices benefit people during the covid-19 pandemic lockdown.
10 Ways How the Internet and Digital Devices Benefit Us during Covid 19 Pandemic
1. Ensured Connectivity
Covid-19 has brought the strange risk with it. A slight touch or closeness with an infected person proves to be deadly. Hence the only way to remain connected with our personal and professional lives are mobile phones, tabs, and iPads. Your smartphones and computers have taken charge to keep you connected to the world.
2. Work from Home
Smartphones and the Internet paved the way to “Work from Home”. Lakhs of employees across the globe were facilitated by work from home. Employees, employers and the government could run many sectors with this option. In the absence of smartphones and the internet, there would be 100% shut down and that would have created a greater dent in the economy. Employees and employers are connected by emails, online meetings, and even through Whatsapp.
3. Online Education
With the first lockdown, the schools have gone online conducting virtual classes for their students. Without smartphones and the internet, children would be completely out of studies for a year now. Various Digital platforms are accessed by teachers, students, researchers which enable constant learning with the interactive user interface.
Thanks to technology and online platforms to enrich the teachers with suitable teaching aids.
4. Online Home delivery of Essentials
The COVID-19 outbreak has led government officials to close non-essential businesses and declare stay-at-home for everyone. Many aspects of everyday life have migrated online. Businesses can continue their core activity online. If there were no smartphones and the internet, it would be difficult to get the daily essentials like groceries, milk, medicines, etc. People can order vegetables, groceries, medicines, and other essentials online without leaving their homes to lower the risk of contagion.
5. Online Business and Shopping
The governments across the globe closed the malls and shops to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. Online platforms such as Amazon, Myntra, Flipkart, Grofers, Swiggy, and many more saved the economy and have proved the best option to sustain in these trying times.
6. Entertainment
If there were no smartphones and the internet, people would have died of isolation and depression. With nearly all public gatherings called off, most of the people are seeking out entertainment on streaming services like Netflix and YouTube and looking to connect on social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Without Smartphones, Apps, and the internet, we could not have imagined how life would be.
7. Daily News
You would not know about the daily happenings in the absence of a physical newspaper during the pandemic lockdown. If there were no Smartphones and digital devices, there would not be News Apps available to your phones to stay connected with the happenings around.
8. Public Awareness
Public health awareness is always an important awareness campaign. The clear message is spread to the populace to inform and remind them not to be scared but to take necessary precautions to fight out coronavirus. Several apps like the Aarogyasetu app are developed to give the minute details of traceability of positive cases to the public by sharing the data appropriately.
Many social media platforms have partnered with governments on COVID-19 to help keep their users knowledgeable with correct facts.
9. Recreational Activities
Pandemic has brought recreational activities almost to a halt. To curb the spread of coronavirus, all recreational and hobby classes like Yoga & Fitness, Cooking, Art classes, etc have gone online. Several hands-on videos are available which you can watch and practice at home anytime.
Even people are worshipping online. E-passes of temples in advance are available to avoid the crowd.
10. Online family and social gatherings
A human being is a social animal, nothing can stop him from social gatherings. As people are not allowed for gatherings, families are zooming to catch up with each other. They celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and special days of their loved ones together on video conferencing apps. Even weddings are streamed online for friends and family members sitting afar.
Though digital devices and the internet cannot stop the spread of coronavirus directly. But it has provided the ways and means of avoiding gatherings by ensuring virtual platforms of social networking. If there were no Smartphones and the Internet, the world would have come to a standstill without connectivity.