The Covid19 pandemic for sure disrupted the entire fabric of the society globally. Perhaps there’s no sector left that it hasn’t impacted! However, it doesn’t mean that this is the end of the road. There’s always light at the end of the tunnel. From the states of shock and panicky we have now arrived at managing the situation and soon after the vaccine arrives, the element of fear would totally vanish. We are in the transformational phase and every time a transformation occurs, it is not so pleasant as we tend to resist the change. Many of us have witnessed the hue and cry of several state government, central government, PSUs and bank employees against computerization in the mid 80s. They resisted the change broadly for two reasons. One, the misconception that their employment would be lost and two, that they have to learn new skills at that age! Can any of those employees even dream of working without a computer in their office today or their kith and kin not having a computer at home?
We are living in the era of fast evolving technologies which calls for updating of information and upgrading of skills on a regular basis. Necessity is not only the mother of invention but also learning. All of us are a witness to this. The pandemic pushed all of us beyond the comfort zone and lots of innovative products including very low cost and portable ventilator, various types of test kits and personal protective equipment have seen light. We know that most of the innovations in the world happened during the world war- II which necessitated them. The recent lockdown has compelled both the young and old generations to learn newer skills such as using mobiles and computers including apps such as zoom. Several instances of hobbies hogging limelight through the social media too occurred during the recent lockdown. Many hidden talents popped out. What people even a few months ago considered fad or stylish such as carrying a sanitizer or wearing a mask and gloves turned out to be a common sight. In some educational institutions where carrying a mobile phone itself was punishable, carrying a mobile phone has become the new normal. A vast majority of those in the teaching profession who were reluctant to upskill themselves with computer knowledge are now compelled to turn tech savvy including imparting lessons using augmented reality to remain in the race.
Likewise, several technologies have evolved in the last few months, which eliminated the need for touch and feel thus catering to the need of the hour. None of us ever thought that hugs and handshakes with friends and dear ones would become a passé! While it took several decades to come out with a vaccine in the earlier pandemics, thanks to the scientific community, there are major breakthroughs across the world in just a few months during this pandemic. On the one hand while the pandemic has created a huge void between the privileged and the underprivileged financially, it also bridged the gap between the two through humanitarian service. The pandemic also exposed the success and failure of various governments globally in handling such crises. It made everyone realize with a jolt the importance of hygiene and humanity. But for the services rendered by the small vendors in each neighbourhood, people would have starved during the lockdowns and thus made everyone realize their need. While most homes had internet connectivity for a long time, the quality of it in terms of speed and uninterrupted service, was realized only after the work from home and online classes commenced.One doesn’t feel stressed upon embracing the change because change is the only constant in this universe.
