The pandemic and our future

The pandemic has changed everything. And as we move ahead, the way we entertain ourselves, heal ourselves, and learn new skills – all will undergo massive shifts.

Our complete incarceration at our homes has been a big mind shift. This has led to interesting changes like interest in gaming among the older generation.

— Meena Ganesh, CEO and MD, Portea Medical

Only 10 million people buy from major e-commerce players while 70 million people have made only one transaction in a while. So there is huge scope for growth.

— Sukanta Dey, CEO, Sdela Consulting

“The complete incarceration of all of us at our homes has been a big mind shift for many of us. There has been huge growth in entertainment options but there have been other interesting changes alongside – like interest in gaming. Some of the older generations have taken to virtual Bridge. It boggles my mind what new set of activities for engagement we have moved to. These have not only affected entertainment but created a different sort of society by bringing people together. Of course, time will tell how much of this will continue while we move to normalcy. I am waiting to buy popcorns and watch a movie in a theatre,” Meena Ganesh, CEO, and MD, Portea Medical, expressed when she painted a picture of the new digital world from her lens.

Moderating the panel discussion on Digital Life and Society at the Dataquest Digital Leadership Conclave, Sukanta Dey, CEO, Sdela Consulting, seconded how physical entertainment will continue to change even after the pandemic is out of the way. But he also argued that there is a lot of untapped room in e-commerce. “Only 10 million people buy from major e-commerce players, while 70 million people have made only one transaction once in a while. So there is a huge scope for the industry to grow.”

Medical care, just like entertainment, will also continue to embrace a massive change – especially in the mindset.

Health – Reset

“Most houses have got a little mini-hospital corner now, with basic supplies, first aid, medicines, and small equipment set up there. Going forward, in-home hospitalisation will deepen. This will become a regular feature. The OPD of the hospital will be visited less and less, I guess,” Dey opined.

Ganesh also outlined the big shift in the health sector, like teleconsultation gaining legality. “That led to a massive increase in the number of teleconsultation, new solutions coming up, and new ways of tracking people no matter where they are. People have also become cautious about complicated health conditions, some of which have to be managed in a remote way only, like diabetes.”

Remote ICU solutions, strong remote monitoring with thin bandwidth, real-time tracking, and adoption of similar technology by senior doctors were some big turns that we have seen till now. “Mental health consultation – done in the privacy of one’s home is a big example of the change that works well.”

So with healthcare, entertainment, etc. changing so much, will we also change the way we learn?

In education, schools are keen to get back to the pre-pandemic setup. People are missing socialisation far more than they miss classrooms.

— Rajendra S Pawar, Chairman and Co-founder NIIT Ltd

Classes – Reset

Is the era of campus-based education over now? Rajendra S Pawar, Chairman, and Co-founder, NIIT Ltd., has a definitive answer here. “Not even one child I have come across says one does not want to go back to school. Not even one. It’s a deeper issue. This period has flexed people’s behavior. In education, schools are keen to get back to the pre-pandemic setup. People are missing socialisation far more than they miss classrooms. This is also a very important part of education – soft skills, interpersonal behavior, personality, and character-building. Higher education students, undergraduates, etc. will see a different change. They are independent but are also looking for socialisation. They have found that when they want to explore their areas of curiosity, they can find some avenues of enrichment – and at their pace. Also, many teachers see that some students who do not – otherwise – ask questions are opening up in the digital model.”

Steve Jobs knew what users wanted but never consulted any user. That’s a visionary mindset and people like Jobs convince users well on what really works best.

— Dr. UB Desai, Founder Director, IIT Hyderabad

But there is a downside to these changes too. “Bored students and exhausted teachers – is something we need to accept too. In the workplace, there are few complete free course options. Also, every teacher knows that if left to themselves, some students will not carry a book. But in the absence of anything else, people have to learn the new way. A major portion of students do not have access to devices too,” he reminded.

That means there are some skills that will stay relevant and some will not. “The skill of learning-to-learn will be a big one and the most important skill. Mobility of the mind is important because the 21st century is the century of the mind. People working with people, and people working with ideas – they would become crucial.”

As we move towards the future, we might also have to rethink what users want from technology and innovations now.

Innovation – Reset

As to human-centric technologies, Dr. UB Desai, Founder Director, IIT Hyderabad reasoned that users have to be part of these technologies – whether in brainstorming, conceptualisation or development. “This has played a big role in design and architecture where there is a lot of back-and-forth between user and developer. But in the silicon space, things get complicated. Is human-centricity really required? If so, how does it work? Cars and chairs are different but what about phones and aircraft? In a sense, there is a balance between human-centricity and technology. The rotary phone lasted for a long time. Is iPhone human-centric? Let’s think deeply about it. Steve Jobs knew what users wanted but never consulted any user. That’s a visionary mindset and people like Jobs convince users well about what really works best. Did the Wright brothers do any user-centric study? I am doubtful.”

His argument was interesting. “Users look a year or two ahead but visionaries look far ahead. The way Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos look at space travel, for instance, is far ahead. That’s a complex problem to solve – should an innovator take a user along or be a bold visionary with the development of something that is far out in the future?”

Once the base technology is there, user-centricity can be embraced, he suggested. Today’s new communication and interaction tools help with real user perspectives, especially with AR and VR. Stressing on an eclectic approach, he said, “Perhaps we should coin a new name where we merge user-centric approach with a visionary approach.”

Indeed, an eclectic approach is what we need now for a lot of aspects of our life which would be both digital and physical.

By Pratima Harigunani
pratimah@cybermedia.co.in