D.

CHANGING DYNAMICS OF
TECHNOLOGY DURING THE
PANDEMIC

Name : Bhavika Dingra

Class : Second Year B.COM

Division :B

Roll Number : 275

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CHANGING DYNAMICS OF TECHNOLOGY DURING THE PANDEMIC

INTRODUCTION

The unprecedented pandemic and lockdown have changed the dynamics of technology,

education sector, businesses. We all know how badly COVID-19 has impacted our lives, both

personal and professional. During this time of sheer uncertainty and constant fear, our

willingness to adopt technology has been our lifeline. In these uncertain times, there is ONE

thing which is certain, the need for everyone, be it normal people or big firms and industries to

rethink how they function- now by the use of technology completely.

How the dynamics of technology have changed are evident with the fact that everything which

was previously offline, and no one thought of it to be online or through the internet, with the

use of technology has now found its unique and much needed way. Be it the education sector

where teaching is through virtual classes or online duties of the corporate sector, technology

has played an immense role. Before now, times were changing at a rapid pace due to

technological innovation. Now, this is catalysed even further by the human need for new

services, solutions, and ways of doing business when in-person contact is limited.

As technology shifts market dynamics, policies must ensure that markets remain inclusive and

support broad access to the new opportunities for firms and workers. New thinking and policy

adaptations are needed in areas such as competition policy, the innovation ecosystem, digital

infrastructure development, upskilling and reskilling of workers, and social protection regimes.

Fostering wider diffusion of new technologies among firms and building complementary

capabilities in the workforce can deliver both stronger and more inclusive economic growth.

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1. ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY DURING THE PANDEMIC

1. Distance Learning

Most of the educational institutions have started to offer their courses online to make sure

education is not disrupted due to the pandemic. This has been possible because of the

technology.

2. Online Entertainment

COVID-19 has completely transitioned how content is being generated, distributed and

streamed. Online streaming of live shows and concerts have gained traction across the world.

Several film production companies have also been releasing their movies via Over The Top

platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Hotstar, Netflix,etc.

3. Contact Tracing Applications

Contact tracing apps like Aarogya Setu have assisted in tracking the COVID-19

spread. Technology has also helped in educating people about the entire situation and

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reminding them to take precautions. Telecom operators such as BSNL, Jio, Airtel, etc. have

used caller tunes for spreading awareness about the pandemic.

4. Fitness & Health Apps

New alternatives are being introduced by health and fitness apps to help people remain fit at

the comfort of staying indoors due to the pandemic situation. Several fitness and health brands

have started conducting live workout sessions on their apps and social media platforms.

5. Work From Home

The work from home option has ensured business continuity for various companies and

businesses. Internet, data privacy security, virtual meetings, cloud conferencing, etc. have

assisted professionals in adapting themselves to work from the home scenario with ease.

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2. COMPANIES RESPONDING TO COVID – 19 PROBLEMS

Companies responded to a range of COVID-19 related changes much more quickly than they

thought possible before crisis.

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3. MANAGING THE DOUBLE SIDE OF THE TECHNOLOGY

Technology does not come without its flip side. As we have already seen how simultaneous to

enhanced usage of tech tools, our screen time has increased exponentially in direct proportion

to our home stay, because it is both a biometric of our attendance at work as it is a mirror of all

our social interactions. Along with Covid19 health protocol, mental health awareness due to

isolation, social distancing, protocols for screen time interface as an abundant precaution to

avoid migraines, headaches, insomnia and for better eye care health will become extremely

important. Not just physical health impacts but also attention spans and other allied health risk

of excess and over exposure to technology.

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4. INNOVATION, INDUSTRIAL DESIGN, ELECTRONICS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Virtual networks, real time and video meets are the new reality of changed times and these are

bound to grow in geometric proportion. Tech enabled innovations, like senor embedded in new

materials to design masks to detect and geo fence nearest infection source point, and point of

sale devices, personal IOT based kits, reminder and alert generating apps, virtual reality

devices, 7 D experiences for tourism- monument, museum and sanctuary visits, will replace

the way we experience our natural and historical heritage, or address aspects of our personal

well-being.

5. PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE: AVAILABILITY, ACCESS, AFFORDABILITY

While public and private service providers may establish a network of optical fiber and provide

the basic infrastructure in villages and cities, how we can nudge, subsidize, incentivize people

to possess tech appropriate hardware- smartphones or such like gadgets, and devices, so they

can access a plethora of services through websites, portals, platforms and mobile applications.

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How the welfare state can work this for the people below the poverty line, in villages, at the

margins, tribal, forest dwellers and the differently abled who will require assistive technologies,

alongside will need to be resolved.

6. TRAINING OF HUMAN RESOURCES: CIVIL SERVANTS AND CIVIL SOCIETY

Another important aspect requiring urgent and prolonged attention will be training of human

resources across the pre-existing hierarchies in the civil services as also amongst the general

citizenry, who will be the users of this non-human tech based interface with the governments

as its biggest consumer of services and for redressal of their public grievances. Customized

training programs will be required to train the geriatric and generational population who despite

being highly educated maybe digitally illiterate; or for an entire set of population who maybe

literate or semiliterate but may need assistance to negotiate around technology or typing and

lastly for the vast majority of the illiterate populace and first time users with no prior tech

exposure.

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 CONCLUSION

Technology is pretty much a proverbial tool like the Archimedes lever, wherein defining the

principle of the lever, the Greek scientist had once said, “Give me a lever long enough, and a

fulcrum strong enough and I will move the earth.” Analogically speaking, therefore, who

wields this tech tool, and how and for what purpose will remain important and hence all our

policy deliberations around technology will be required to continuously and consistently

remain alert and aware about this, to prevent the underbelly of technology from overtaking and

the turning upside down the better and beneficial side of technology into a bitter and baleful

experience.

Ours is a time of exciting technological change. The era of smart machines holds the promise

of a more prosperous future for all. But it demands smarter policies to realize that promise. To

capture potential gains in productivity and economic growth and to address rising inequality,

policies will need to be more responsive to change as technology reshapes markets. And change

will only intensify as artificial intelligence and other new advances drive digital transformation

further—and at an accelerated pace in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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 BIBLOGRAPHY / WEBLIOGRAPHY

1. news.cleartax.in

2. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

3. new.berkley.edu

4. financialexpress.com

5. salesforce.com

6. brookings.edu

7. deloittedigital.com

8. mckinsey.com

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