COVID-19 pandemic is one of the worst catastrophes that the world has ever seen in recent times. According to WHO, so far there have been around 51 lakh confirmed cases of the Coronavirus and over 3 lakh deaths. It has wreaked havoc in every city with lockdowns still in place in many countries. People have been using digital devices and services, long before the pandemic. But statistics show that during such difficult times of COVID-19, the usage of Digital Media has increased even more.
With just one click of a button, people are getting all the necessary information about the virus, the statistics of new cases, lockdown areas, etc. Families are connecting even more through social media apps like WhatsApp, Facebook, Zoom. Students are gaining knowledge through online classes and virtual classrooms. Monetary transactions are taking place digitally through secured apps.
All of these have opened new vistas for the digital world. While there is social distancing, people are coming together digitally and finding opportunities.
Let us have a look at some of the areas where Digital Media has opened new golden opportunities during COVID-19 pandemic:
1. Education:
After the onset of Coronavirus, all the schools and colleges were closed across the globe. Due to this, it is estimated that around 1.2 billion children in 186 countries are affected. With increasing cases of COVID-19 every day, lockdowns are getting extended with no indication of the reopening of educational institutions.
During such times, many schools and colleges have started online classes and e-learning sessions. Teachers and professors are setting up virtual classrooms and imparting knowledge to students. An online learning platform like BYJU is offering free learning classes and has seen around 200% growth in the number of new students.
Here are some statistics that show how global education is impacted due to current pandemic:
Previously it was considered that children spend a lot of time on devices like smartphones, tablets, TVs, and used to see unwanted content. But today, school-going children are using the same devices to acquire knowledge. Statistics show that a child can grasp around 25-60% of information through digital learning, as compared to 10-12% of classroom learning.
Not only children, but many college-going students and working professionals are getting online sessions and acquiring new skills via websites like Udemy, Skillshare, LinkedIn Learning. Indian Government too has launched the ‘PM eVIDYA’ programme (One Nation, One Digital Platform) to provide quality educational content to students and researchers.
2. News and Media:
Earlier, newspapers were the primary source for global news. But with the introduction of TVs and the Internet, anyone could access news from anywhere in the world. In current pandemic, news and media consumption has increased even more. Study shows that during March 16-22, 2020, visits to news and media sites, apps, TV channels went up by 50% which has been highest in recent times.
Many platforms are entering OTT space which is changing the ways we watch the news. These primarily include Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, ZEE5 & Voot. Even Discovery has entered OTT space with the launch of Discovery+ that includes Premium Discovery titles, must-watch documentaries, & India-tailored content.
With constant fluctuations in financial markets, people want to remain updated with business news. Between the 2nd and 3rd weeks of March 2020, the number of unique visitors increased by 22%.
Overall, the news and media sectors, as well as financial news sector, saw an increasing trend during this period:
3. Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals:
Another category that has seen an increasing trend is in healthcare. With a global catastrophe like the Coronavirus pandemic, people want to know as much information as possible about the disease. How the virus spreads, the symptoms, incubation period, how to take preventive measures, etc.
During this pandemic period, there is a high demand for hand sanitizers, masks, immunity boosters. Pharmacies like Netmeds, PharmEasy, Medlife are delivering all such essentials through online bookings. Such e-pharmacy markets in India are expected to reach $3.6 billion by 2022.
All of this led to increased traffic on health-related websites, blogs, apps. In March, this number increased by 25% in total.
4. Online Gaming & Entertainment:
While Digital Media is mainly used for learning and accessing information, it is also used widely for entertainment. Recently, a mobile game called Ludo King has become one of the top five most installed mobile games during this period.
Other popular games like Fortnite, PubG, Doom Eternal also recorded an increase in the count of active gamers. Online game streaming platforms like Twitch, YouTube Gaming, Facebook Gaming also saw an increased number of streamers and audience during this period. Overall, the number of active engagements in online gaming and websites increased by 24% between March 16-22, 2020.
The number of users for online streaming sites like Netflix, Hotstar, Prime Video also increased considerably during the pandemic period. Netflix alone recorded an additional count of 15.8 million paid subscribers during the initial weeks of the pandemic. Other services saw a similar increasing trend, which suggests that Digital Media is also used widely for entertainment.
Digital Transformation in present and future scenarios:
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a digital transformation is taking place that includes the transfer of physical data and services to cloud servers, improving existing technology and processes to suit digital needs, arranging corporate meetings online, etc.
Even if governments start to ease lockdowns, many companies will still adapt to ‘work from home’ model and it is to remain in the future. Instead of 100/100 model, a 25/25 model will be adapted which means that at a given time, only 25% of employees will come to the office, and remaining will continue working from home.
Conclusion – The Road Ahead
In the COVID-19 pandemic period, advanced digital technologies like Artificial Intelligence and Data Science have helped us to locate the movement of people and map out the regions for COVID-affected patients. Indian Government’s app – Arogya Setu – tracks data in real-time and warns people of nearby patients.
Other technologies like Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Mixed Reality will also have a major role to play going forward and will be used at their full potential. With AR, people can bring a virtual object into the real world and with VR, people can be virtually present at a place without physically going there. AI based Chat bots are helping people to gain access to information 24/7 in the fields of healthcare, restaurants, retail, etc.
Thus, Digital Media has proved to be a boon for humans. It is providing us with a golden opportunity that we should not miss. It is, in a true sense, “The Protector of Civilization”. In the coming days, these technologies will replace other mediums for communications, advertising, marketing, and make our lives easier by helping us to stay connected digitally.
