As we were forced to close the doors to distance other people in a bid to stay away from COVID-19 pandemic, the only tool that kept us social was internet. The children with digital devices were able to continue their learning, while the trend of 'work from home' thrived globally.
Zoom was one of the most common digital platforms used to connect us to the world- from holding office meetings to attending global conferences. Think, if there were no internet and digital devices, what would happen? One could not deny the loneliness, ennui, frustration, family strife, and domestic violence in absence of internet- the communicative lifeline- as the crisis engulfed the world.
Internet to foster freedoms
Undoubtedly, there are several positive sides of digital life. One's access to internet has ensured unprecedented opportunities to open up to the world. The internet use is not only for connectivity but also for learning, entertainment and earning/commerce. It has emerged as the foundational infrastructure to enable one's rights as freedom of speech and opinion. The impact of our internet/digital life to such scale and speed cannot be rivaled by any other media. The traditional and legacy media have been drowned by the internet and digital spheres.
With the utmost exercise of human rights on digital spheres, the authorities and people in power are watched closely. Their irregularities and wrongdoings are exposed in no time. The attempts made against democratic system are denuded and those in power are forced to correct their decisions. In this sense, the internet and digital devices have finely empowered people to speak truth to power. The transparency and accountability are sought from public offices/officials once the service seekers are denied smooth and prompt services. It has therefore become a tool to contribute to good governance and nurture democratic values too.
Other side needs attention
At the same time, have we evaluated the other side of internet and digital spheres? Is the convenience and visibility ensured by internet and digital devices a cause for our positive lifeworld? Is the information ecosystem we are living with clean and hygienic? How resiliently are we adapting to the digital atmosphere? These are indeed the pressing concerns before us.
Unless we keep in balance our activities on these modern media, our individual and social wellbeing is elusive.
Let's mull how long we are glued to digital spheres every day- an hour, two, three or more? How we are habituated to lengthen the digital life and what may be the consequences that must be considered on time as the researchers and experts suggest.
Irrespective of many positive sides of the digital lifeworld, the human immersion to a virtual world is awesome, yet terrible.
In the name of visibility and popularity, we are speaking, writing and sharing contents- photos, videos about us, family, community and many more. But while sharing, we need to know what and how we're sharing. When our activities in the digital platforms come at the cost of our privacy, our life, relations, and image are evidently at risk. Longer it is to earn fame, shorter it is to lose it. So, time has come for all of us to promote digital literacy.
Deluge of fake news: mis/disinformation
Moreover, as the fake news: mis/disinformation spread in no time across border, they have immense impact on one's psychological to social life and jeopardize the system. For example, the disinformation spread during election not only delude voters but also polarize politics and society and impact vote results. With the creation of huge amount of data and information every day, the information ecosystem is polluted and infected. They have direct impact on informed choice of the people on any object and agenda.
It is worth noting that the World Health Organization (WHO) had declared 'infodemics' as the fake news on health and diseases became pandemic along with COVID-19 pandemic. The fake news is therefore a severe threat to science and facts. At such situation, trust and truth are obviously in casualty.
Moreover, with utmost use of modern software, artificial intelligence, algorithm and machine learning, the social media platforms irrespective of the countries they originate from are not only exploiting our data but also luring to get glued to digital devices. How aware are we about it? The digital platforms are run by quantifying the users' data and behaviour. We are surveilled by internet/digital platforms at every step. They have emerged capable to modify human behaviour and accumulate capital.
In this connection, in a much acclaimed book written with astute observation and analyses of digital platforms, 'The Age of Surveillance Capitalism', writer Shoshana Zuboff argues that industrial capitalism had dependence on exploitation of nature while the present surveillance capitalism on exploitation of human nature- bevahiour, emotion, feelings. She aptly says, "Surveillance capitalism, I have suggested, depends instead upon the exploitation and control of human nature. The market reduces us to our behaviour, transformed into another fictional commodity and packaged for others' consumption."
Books gather dust
Similarly, it is too contradictory that we are enjoying the effervescent pieces of information in Facebook and Twitter while the books on racks are left to gather dust. Sedentary, we are engrossed on digital devices as if 'chutney' is enough for us rather than main course of meal. As chutney is to tang, meal is to energy. The books rich in information and knowledge are scholastic meal but the digital bubble of information are serving as chutney.
We can argue that internet is a large source of information, but how capable we are to sift the right information from deluge of information is equally significant. Are the information found in Google all right?
Urgency of digital literacy
Now, time has come for us to understand well positive and negative sides of digital lifeworld. One measure to tread cautiously the present world is to have adequate digital literacy. Without belittling and jeopardizing the value of internet and digital spheres, our collective efforts are required to ensure digitally livable atmosphere. The negative sides must to be discouraged and curbed on time while exploring and reaping the positive sides. As Nepal is also talking about digital transformation, a healthy digital life of people should also be a priority in policy and practices.
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