The New Normal: Welcome to the digital world… A new era
With about half of the world’s population under lockdown by April 2020, we’ve realised how the far-fetched idea of a fully-digital world might very well become a reality. Our classroom, workplace, marketplace, gathering space, and even dancefloor became fully virtual. In just a few months, we have transitioned into a digital world.
It is no secret that technology is advancing rapidly, and so are the ways we communicate, learn, think, and play. We have found ways to make life easier. From smoke signals and messenger pigeons, to telephones and emails, we have devised ways of communication that have constantly evolved how we engage with one another for as long as we have been on this planet.
Today, it is possible for a family separated by distance to connect seemingly face-to-face, in real-time, through a digital screen with video chats and platforms such as Zoom or Discord. Everyone, sat at their own corners of the world… so far away, yet so close.
A Digital Reality. It is the NEW Normal.
In our transition from the industrial age to the information age—aka computer, digital, or new media age—our economy became primarily based on information technology. Long gone are the days of using sequenced dots and dashes to spell out messages with the telegraphs or breeding messenger pigeons, or traveling for days on horseback to deliver a message.
From telegrams to datagrams, modern-day technology has paved the way for multi-functional devices. The invention of the smartphone after the mobile phone has laid the groundwork for AI solutions and customized experiences. With the internet becoming mainstream in the early 1990’s, it has today become a global means of communication and source of information.
Digital payments were all but inevitable with the internet becoming more and more central to our daily lives. The use of e-wallets and e-commerce skyrocketed thanks to the pandemic. Kaspersky Digital Payment’s survey says that nearly 9 in 10 people in the Middle East (93%) reported an increase in their use of e-wallet and mobile banking in 2021. According to a study by Juniper Research, e-wallet users are expected to exceed 4.4B globally by 2025.
Digital technology has also redefined how companies operate. Workflow today is faster, more efficient, and convenient with the introduction of digital transformation and smart technology. This has opened up a wide range of possibilities and opportunities for employees and employers and changed the way they interact and perform tasks.
We are constantly innovating, adapting, and growing… and the future looks bright.
