During the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing and lockdown measures have been implemented at various times and to different degrees in order to protect people from the spread of the coronavirus. These measures have meant that young students and jobseekers have been pushed towards a digital world of learning and work in unprecedented ways. There is varying evidence of the pros and cons of this situation and the impact on young people.
Digital platforms became essential during the pandemic across many walks of life not least education. Kuldeep Jayaswal and D.K. Palwalia of Rajasthan Technical University in Kota, India, go further and suggest that part of the role is in societal “healing”. Moreover, the pandemic has boosted our ability to get more out of these digital platforms in unprecedented ways that had not been touched on in the pre-pandemic world.
Of course, the tragedy of the pandemic is widespread illness and death from which we cannot escape. There have also been massive detrimental effects on society, economics, and the environment too. The new normal has however wrought new approaches and creativity in education and work that may emerge as positives in the post-pandemic world. Moreover, the lessons we have learned will hopefully come into play when must face the next inevitable global crisis.
Jayaswal, K. and Palwalia, D.K. (2021) ‘Healing from COVID-19 through digital platforms: exploring the influences of this pandemic on students and jobseekers in India’, Int. J. Smart Technology and Learning, Vol. 2, No. 4, pp.235–249.