The ups and downs of our new ‘virtual’ lives
Throughout the long, cold, damp winter, we Londoners have been waiting for the sun to come out so we could stroll in the beautiful parks or venture beyond to the rolling green hills of the British countryside. And as if to spite us, now that the government has ordered a lockdown to fight the coronavirus pandemic, one sunny day is followed by another. As we wait for this nasty disease to slow down, to stop disrupting routines, claiming the lives of the more vulnerable and wreaking havoc on our economy, most of us have adapted to the relatively solitary lifestyle required of us, and shifted much of our activity online.
I must make a confession before I sing the praises of technology and how it is helping us to survive these dangerous days: I have never been a fan of distance learning, which I see as at best a complementary tool to what is done in class. For me, teaching politics and international affairs to cohorts of students from around the world should take place while sharing the same physical space and discussing, debating and even arguing some difficult issues, eyeball to eyeball. This is not always easy or pleasant, especially when biases and prejudices surface. However, disagreements and preconceived ideas can be a learning tool if approached sensitively, and this cannot be done remotely.
Nevertheless, last week, when all our teaching migrated to the online world, I was grateful to be able to “virtually” meet my students, who were already scattered across several continents. In a short space of time academics and students have discovered the power of teaching and learning technologies, but also the human side of staying in touch, interacting with and supporting each other despite these most challenging times. My virtual class went well, apart from a few technical hitches, and the level of engagement and the thirst for more of it while we are all locked down was heartwarming.
No, I am not converted, and I can’t wait to see my students back in class (minus their smartphones) instead of encountering them on camera; but to be able to continue teaching online is a prime example of how technology, and especially information technology, can not only enable us to maintain activities that were abruptly cut short, but also stimulate our innovation and creativity genes. This may not only keep our societies and our mental state intact, but also create opportunities, especially for those who are unemployed, for people to release their entrepreneurial talents and reap the benefits long after COVID-19 is consigned to history. Zumba, Pilates or yoga classes on Zoom or Skype cannot properly replace the gym, but they can maintain physical and mental health, not to mention the livelihoods of those who run them. Shopping online has also been given a boost, especially as most nonessential stores have had to close and certain goods have disappeared from the shelves of those that remain open. Here there is both an opportunity and a danger. As convenient as shopping online is, and currently essential, there is a danger that it may contribute to the increasingly rapid demise of the traditional high street. The extortionate prices demanded by some online sellers for coronavirus-related items, from food to hand sanitizers and even home fitness equipment, are a salutary reminder of what the retail world will look like if giants such as Amazon take an even larger share of the market, and governments remain indifferent to the threat. It is not only online shopping and distance learning that have been enhanced by the pandemic. For most of us who are not used to working from home, this is a new reality in which much can be accomplished without stepping out of the house, as long as the Wi-Fi is not playing up. Many have done this for years. Some miss the office banter, even the occasional drama, but with less time spent on commuting (also a blessing for the environment) and without the social distractions of the office, work can be done more quickly and efficiently. Microsoft Teams and Slack have become the new arenas for committee or boardroom meetings and communication between teams. Their ease of use can lead to unnecessary and irrelevant exchanges and communication saturation, but otherwise they have proved to be useful tools that have increased rather than hampered camaraderie. There are obvious dangers in moving our lives online, especially for children and adolescents as they develop their social skills. Notoriously, there is also the threat of being tracked by government, business and criminal elements; it is a bonanza for cyberpredators, and as we increase our online presence those who would manipulate us or limit our liberties are being presented with endless opportunities.
In the meantime, social media is thriving and connecting us with our loved ones — especially the elderly and those with underlying health problems for whom physical encounters are life-threatening — while it entertains us with humorous takes on being quarantined, and provides useful advice on preventing the spread of coronavirus while we debate online how best to contain the pandemic. Just imagine Mothers Day under lockdown without social media, or what life in times of pandemic would have been (as it once was) without iPlayer, Netflix and Amazon Prime.
Information technology is not our coronavirus savior, or any kind of panacea, but it makes dealing with the outbreak more bearable, keeps some of the economy going, keeps us in touch with one another, and keeps us informed and entertained in isolation. It also helps us resist the temptation to break the lockdown. At times like this we should give thanks for the small mercies that technology offers, but without ignoring the dangers that it also presents to ourselves and our societies.