Covid-19 has changed everything about the way we live. We've found ourselves bereft of our usual habits, comforts, and recreational enjoyments. Meanwhile, as cabin fever sets in, we're discovering that our usual household routines aren't holding our attention for very long, and we're itching for new ways to work, play, and keep busy from within the same four walls.
Technology, it seems, has been building up to this moment for sometime. While there isn't an engineer out there who could've predicted a worldwide quarantine, technology has nonetheless been moving towards remote tools, games, and software that utilize the internet to bridge the distances between us.
So while Covid-19 is an unprecedented event that caught everyone off guard, it seems as though tech has been naturally leading up to it. Which is a good thing for us. After all, can you imagine life today without Netflix or Zoom?
Socializing From Home
When's the last time you saw your best friend's face? Chances are it was recently--despite the fact that, well, you may not have actually seen your best friend in person for a long time. Today's digital software has made it easier than ever to socialize with friends and family from afar, and it has more than paid off in these days of social distancing.
Take, for instance, Netflix. While Netflix has been around for what seems like ages now, allowing us to gather with friends in our living rooms for the newest show or film, sites like Netflix Party are upping the ante on watching TV with friends without meeting them in person. Netflix Party is a relatively new site that allows people in different households to sync Netflix films and shows and watch together virtually, commenting, chatting, and doing nearly everything they'd usually do together while watching a movie together--save for sharing a bowl of popcorn
Today's most popular PS4 games are also uniting people in these times of social distancing. With multi-player games that foster competition and communication through their Playstation boxes, friends and even strangers can indulge in collective, real-time play without meeting in person. Quite a long way from the old arcades, and absolutely crucial for today's homebound gamers.
Working From Home
Zoom has been all the rage lately, and there's a good reason why. The chat and video conferencing platform has been around long before the coronavirus outbreak, but its popularity has soared as more and more teams were forced to say goodbye to the office and communicate from home.
Zoom and other remote working apps have stepped in to fill the void that millions of people have found themselves in during the days of social distancing. Now, teams can meet, plan, and brainstorm no matter how far apart they are, which has proved critical to keeping the economy afloat when so many brick-and-mortar businesses have been forced to shutter their doors.
Technology has prepped office workers for this current situation in myriad ways. Of course, work-from-home culture had begun before Covid-19, with co-working spaces and cafes taking the place of offices. But coronavirus has taken it to a new level, and project management software has made it easier to transition smoothly into working from home. Platforms like Monday.com, for example, as well as Google Drive and MS Office, have provided an online space for managers to plan, assign, and coordinate with workers and collaborate on documents from afar. Without these platforms, it's difficult to imagine how we'd be able to conduct our business without sharing a meeting room.
Learning From Home
Last but not least, technology has provided us an outlet to keep our brains limber even without the benefit of a classroom or a museum.
The most important way this has played out is with children's education. With schools shuttered, parents frantically searched for ways to keep their kids educated and entertained. Thankfully, tons of online learning apps, games, and guided programs have filled the void. Today, you can enroll your children in online programs that follow the core curriculum, download fun, visual-based math and science games to your tablet, and even connect with professional tutors through conferencing sites for 1-on-1 learning.
Children aren't the only ones who need online learning, though. Adults, too, have found themselves itching to keep their minds engaged between brain-numbing Netflix binges. And technology has more than stepped up in that regard too. From virtual museum tours to online university courses, adult art classes, and general interest seminars via TED and other educational sites, online platforms have provided myriad tools for college students and non-degree seeking adults alike to learn from a distance.
Home is the New Out - For Now, but Maybe the Future
There's no doubt that as soon as the restrictions are eased, people will gleefully return to their routines. But the technology that has provided us such comfort and accessibility during these times isn't going anywhere, and there's no question that even once we're allowed to go to the office, classroom, or museum again, we'll rely more and more on these remote tools. Technology had been building up to this moment where we'd rely on it to work, play, and converse, and there's no doubt that even after the crisis has passed, it will continue to play a new role in how we go about our daily lives.
