Generation Digital By Sundy Locus
Because of COVID-19’s exponential transmission, governments are forced to impose lockdowns to curb its spread.
The world has turned digital in a blink of an eye. The streets have turned empty and the noises of people going about their business have faded to silence. People have become dependent on technology as if reality has dissolved and has been warped inside our screens.
The year 2020 feels like it came straight from a dystopian novel. Homes are locked down; curfews imposed; and establishments like malls, schools, parks and churches once brimming with people are now barely exhibiting signs of life.
Physical distancing, temperature checks, the wearing of face masks -these have become the new normal because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), an invisible enemy now ravaging all corners of the world.
The World Health Organization defines COVID-19 as an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. It spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Because of its exponential transmission, governments were forced to impose lockdowns to curb its spread. Now, what was once mundane activities have become a luxury -- walking, idling on empty cafes, socializing or even buying groceries always come with a precaution.
The pandemic has given birth to the “new normal,” an everyday scenario altered by an intensified relationship with technology.
CASHLESS PAYMENTS
Carrying paper money is still part of the “new normal” but nowadays, the government is urging people to go cashless.
The virus can spread through paper and paying using virtual currency limits physical contact. This made way to the popularity of virtual wallets in the country including Gcash, Paymaya and Paypal in which customers enjoy buying and availing of services at the tip of their fingertips.
Even ride-hailing application Grab has adopted this policy, wherein it will only accept bookings if payments will be made through its own feature, Grabpay.
FOOD DELIVERY SERVICES
Dine-in services are so 2019. With the fast transmission of the Covid-19 virus, eating out is now just making its way back with limited seating and with food establishments focusing now on take-out and delivery services.
The new normal melds convenience and safety, equating to the sudden rise in usage of food delivery services such as GrabFood, Foodpanda and Lalafood. Not only menus but companies have stretched to delivering groceries to ease consumers’ burden.
ZOOM MEETINGS
While some businesses are now back to full-scale operations, most establishments opted for skeletal workforces. This means flexible working arrangements and homes turning into offices. Hour-long meetings that used to be done on open office spaces are now done via teleconferencing.
WEBINARS
A term coined from “web” and “seminar,” webinars are simply forums and discussion done through teleconferencing. This is how most brands hold their events to promote their products, now that mass gathering are temporarily banned.
Audiences can still communicate with speakers through chat and can ask questions that they want to be answered. Universities as well as government agencies also host webinars to tackle information and spark discussion to their target audience.
ONLINE SHOPPING
Itching to buy clothes or appliances? Customers have found a haven in online shopping. Instead of heading out to the mall where one poses to the risk of being infected, buyers have turned to shopping sites and applications for their needs and maybe, to score some good deals. What are days of waiting for parcels if it means your and your family’s security, right?
VIDEO GAMES
Humans are social animals and if physical intimacy is removed from the equation, then we will find a way to spend time with each other. Video games have taken their way to ease boredom during the new normal. Some of the popular game choices nowadays are Animal Crossing, Mobile Legends and Call of Duty where friends can battle against each other inside cyberspace.
There is still no cure nor a vaccine for the Covid-19 virus as of writing. Medical trials are being done by scientists all over the world but a medication is yet to come. With the absence of a drug, the future of the world remains bleak. No one knows when this will end, not even what will happen next.
The world may be filled with uncertainties now but one thing is for sure: the pandemic will end but we are not going back to the way we have known things before.
Carrying paper money is still part of the “new normal” but nowadays, the government is urging people to go cashless.