Technology – A Blessing or a Curse during COVID-19 Pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic hit the world hard – millions were forced to stay in their homes, countless jobs were lost, and a constant sense of fear took over everyone’s mind. In such times, technology played a major role in every person’s life.

While we owe it to technology for all the luxuries and conveniences in our lives, one cannot help but wonder whether this technology is actually a blessing or a curse in disguise. Let us have a look at some of the aspects of our lives that technology has impacted, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and figure out whether it was a good impact or a bad one.

Information

One of the wondrous capabilities of technology is its ability to provide access to instant information. It does not matter whether an incident occurred right next to you or halfway across the world, thanks to technologies such as the internet, you are able to access that information in real-time.

COVID-19 spread across the world at a rapid pace. Had it not been for technology, the news of the spread of the disease would not have been communicated to everyone as fast. As a result, proper precautions could not have been taken at the right time, which would have potentially resulted in greater losses.

On the other hand, the internet provided a platform for entities to spread fake news. Since most people do not verify information presented to them on the web, creating chaos and panic has been relatively easy with the help of technology.

Entertainment

Had it not been for streaming sites, social media sites, gaming websites, and more, people would have been bored to death within their homes. Since most of the world was completely shut down, there was no way of going out of homes to meet friends, hang out at bars, or do anything else. People relied on services such as Optimum internet to connect to the digital world and entertain themselves as they saw fit.

Work from Home

Many companies instructed their employees to provide their services from home. Instead of going to the workplace every single day, employees were able to carry on with their work duties with either none or minimum difficulties. Employees were able to commit to their duties in a comfortable environment where there was no direct supervision, no restriction on the number of breaks or a serious dress code, which led to an increase in productivity.

Though the home environment may be a bit more comfortable, it may get counter-productive for some people. The thought of total independence at home allows people to neglect their duties. Moreover, distractions  at home make it difficult to focus on work.

Companies also realized the cost-saving and time-saving this dynamic provided. Since employees is not bound by any schedule, they can virtually work 24/7 for an organization. Employers sometimes exploit this fact and demand work from employees at odd times and deadlines. All this was made possible thanks to the technology we possess today.

Health

The moment COVID-19 struck, medical professionals dove into the process of finding a cure for this demonic disease. We cannot neglect the contribution of technology in our ability to tackle this new disease. As we speak, several healthcare entities are in the process of developing an effective vaccine to rid the world of this pandemic once and for all.

Access to Necessities

Even though the world was brought to a halt, daily life did not stop even for a second. People still needed milk and eggs for breakfast, medicines for the ill, anf pay their utility bills. During the pandemic, many online platforms came to people’s aid by offering delivery services, and online payment models to resolve these matters. If people did not have access to these facilities at this time, who knows what would have been the situation right now?

What does the Future Hold?

Technology has contributed both good and bad to the modern world. It is quite hard to determine which contribution is greatest though. Several other aspects of your life may have been impacted, but the thing to remember is that one can only try to extract the most benefit and stay away from the negative side as much as humanly possible. After that, once can only hope for the best.