The world as we know it took a sharp turn the last couple of years due to the most recent coronavirus pandemic, which has proven to be a shocking mass event that will leave a scar in the whole world’s economy. Although many businesses and industries such as tourism, retail, travel, transportation and more, have been hit hard by the pandemic, there were also few that weren’t that badly affected. Technology has proven itself to be super useful during these hard times as the online world fueled an all new economy that is now making us more and more dependent on technology than ever before.
The internet has literally brought the whole world to our fingertips at the push of a button. Anything you can imagine, you can do, buy, or see on the world wide web. It is true that the world of technology has brought upon us an era of unmatched convenience, making life easier and easier, but at the same time, if you can get what you want with less and less effort, the way you see life will slowly start to change. We can see this clearly in two different kinds of people in the world, the rich and the poor.
Those who have all they need have an easy going life, the richer you are, the lazier you can be. Rich people have other people cook for them, clean for them, even do their work for them. These kinds of people have all the things they want, yet they lack a certain value in life for smaller things, as poorer people do. We see indigenous tribes which are cut off from the rest of the world, living a very different, self sufficient lifestyle where no currency or materialistic value is needed, as they hunt or cultivate their own foods, and share a certain value and fulfillment that those who depend solely on materialism, don’t.
But what does this little parable have to do with online technology and the coronavirus?
As time goes by, online commodities are becoming more and more popular day by day. Some of these commodities, such as online shopping, have been around for quite a while now, way before the pandemic started, but the rate has skyrocketed and the concept is now becoming even more common than visiting shops. People aren’t just ordering outfits they like off the internet, due to social distancing, most casual shopping has shifted online, shops have closed their doors and have become warehouses for online shops, and it’s not just casual shopping that’s being done online. Nowadays, people are buying daily needs such as groceries and pharmaceuticals online. This is leading to a lot less need for people to go out if they need to buy literally anything. This gives a small ray of hope to many businesses that are suffering from the side effects of quarantines and social distancing. This is also leading to a high rise in the demand and volume of delivery companies.
Another sector that’s fairing well with the pandemic is entertainment, even though there’s not much concerts or live shows going round, we’re seeing plenty of action with home entertainment. Movies, TV shows and gaming are keeping us entertained when there’s nothing to do at home. We’re even seeing a jump in the use and creation of online casino website’s since land based casinos are no longer as easily accessible as they were before.
Due to travel decreasing and public gatherings being enforced to an all time low, we’re all lacking well needed socialization. Not only are some of us unable to travel to see friends and family abroad since borders are being shut and travel bans forming all around the world, but we’re also facing regulations on where we can go on a national and local level, and some countries are even limiting the amounts of people able to meet in a public group. This lack of socialization can have a big negative effect on people, both personally and with housemates. The only thing that’s keeping those stuck at home in touch with the rest of the world is social media. Some of us don’t even remember the last time we were introduced to someone new in person, and not through a friend request on facebook, or a follow on Instagram.
So do the positives out-weigh the negatives? Online commodities have never ending potential. Will we keep getting lazier and lazier as time goes by? Is there a limit to how far technology can take us? And will it be enough to help us cope with the rest of the pandemic? Only time will tell…
