COVID-19 has turned our world upside down. The article focuses on good and bad points.
‘YOU ARE INVITED TO A ZOOM MEETING’
Imagine saying to people in 1990 that their kids will be learning maths in a class not leaving home. They would probably not believe you, would they? And they would definitely ask: how? And, most importantly, why? COVID-19 was like a bolt from the blue turning our life upside down. Not only has it changed our habits, but also modified our perception of the world. The world turned a new leaf and became online. However, with all new technologies, such as robots or space equipment, people were slowly accepting the online world, but nobody expected that only in few days students would go from ‘normal going to school or to work’ change to ‘enter the meeting on Zoom’. Even though most people are not satisfied with the online alternative, we did not really have a choice. People had to get adjusted in order to proceed with more or less normal life. But was switching to online that bad? It has lead to the world becoming even more globalized, which is greatly evident by the Amazon boom in 2020 or the possibility to enter the university online even if it is on the other continent. Everything has become even more connected and quicker.
‘IN PERSON’ VS ‘ONLINE’
However, many people still believe that in-person activities are better, despite the rise of online preferences. E-learning, for example, is now used by over 90% of enterprises, compared to only 4% in 1994, according to research. The landscape is changing, but real communication can never be replaced, and after the pandemic many people finally realized that. Those who preferred to sit at home, complaining about going to school, university, or work, made a change of heart and were desperately waiting for the end of home-office and quarantine. Now, when we are slowly returning to ‘normal’ life, people are feeling it differently. We used to take real communication for granted, but it has changed.
YOU
More technology, easier life. But are there things which cannot be replaced? To find the right answer one must answer firstly one more profound question: Did humans create technology or did technology create humans? After thinking about this issue, it is getting clearer that the only thing digital world cannot replace is YOU. Sure, they could build a clone of you someday, but even the most similar people have little differences. Your work was unique. Consider this. Despite the fact that there are countless possibilities to replace people, it was you who emerged from the womb.
Tetiana Mihaiesi
19.05.2022
