How covid19 is changing how we use technology and interact within the USA
No one in their wildest dream could have predicted the COVID 19 outbreak. The damage it has caused is massive, and experts are still trying to estimate the figure for damage caused to economies. There have been about 36.2 Million corona cases worldwide, out of which 7.58 Million are from the USA. About 21% of the total cases have originated from the USA.
Just like in any country, the USA is also heavily affected. The daily operations, lifestyles, activities, business operations have been significantly impacted. Amongst all this chaos, COVID 19 has changed how we use technology.
Today we'll dive into how technology helps us cope with the outbreak and discuss how we interact with each other differently within the USA.
Transition in how students learn:
Schools, colleges, and Universities are shut down all over the USA. The classrooms have moved into people's bedrooms via video conferencing. The usage in video conferencing and VoIP apps have surged over the past few months.
Some of the popular applications are Zoom, Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, and Hangouts meet by Google. All the student's assignments, presentations, and lectures are being held online.
Remote workplace:
Companies have ordered the majority of their employees to work from home amid the outbreak. Employees have set up their workplaces at home. They need to imitate a workplace environment, which is why the usage of correct technology is essential.
Software for time tracking, online collaboration, video conferencing, and feedback collection tools is necessary for a remote workplace. Hardware such as webcams, microphones, headsets, Wi-Fi extenders is equally essential as well. In the end, this approach is beneficial for both the employee as well as the employer.
Changes in Health Care:
Doctors are very cautious these days. They are encouraging patients to use telemedicine to communicate with doctors instead of physically appearing for an appointment. Telemedicine requires infrastructure and necessary planning, along with the right tools to make this process seamless. This requires high-speed connectivity, high bandwidth, secure connections, and patients' training on how to use apps.
Using technology for entertainment:
The majority of the people in the USA are restricted to their homes. They can't leave their homes to go watch a movie or go to the club, so they opt for other options. Americans have been spending the majority of their time online.
The average usage of Facebook rose by 27%. The average usage of Netflix rose by 16% after residents were forced into their homes. This indicates that Americans are using Netflix and YouTube for entertainment purposes and Facebook to stay connected with their loved ones.
Changes in how people shop:
All the supermarkets closed means now people must opt to choose online shopping. This has caused an increase in the usage of e-Commerce stores. People are using pickup or delivery options by ordering their necessities from their mobile phones. A spike has been recorded in downloads of grocery apps and food delivery apps. Walmart grocery app recorded 460% growth in average daily downloads.
Final words:
Without technology, it may not have been possible to cope with the challenges caused due to COVID. History will remember how people adapted their lives with the help of technology.
References:
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(nytimes, 2020)
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(belden, 2020)
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(knoxnews, 2020)
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Tobi Onyekweli
I’m Tobi Onyekweli, the founder of Kweli Solutions. We are an IT training firm that specializes in providing quality training and appropriate career guides in areas such as Cloud, Database, Cybersecurity, and Software Engineering. Our style and pattern can be compared to none in the industry we gladly represent. We are the leading firm in IT, and we have successfully introduced innovative ways of teaching IT courses. We will be glad to help you find your feet in your chosen career path.
