Virtual Productivity or Virtual Boundaries?

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted our entire worldview; the activities we are routinely used to — eating out, interacting with coworkers, attending classes — have meanwhile ceased, except for the collective push towards remote working. Businesses and schools alike have enabled their employees and students, respectively, to communicate via online messaging and conferencing platforms. Although some of this alternate mode of communication has already been occuring, the greater push as a consequence of the pandemic might have long-lasting implications on the use of such technology and its effects on the economy.

Small businesses are already struggling to recoup costs with a stall in customers and revenues. On the other hand, large corporations seem to see no immediate slowdown of their profits. Will this lack of concern last for corporations? A recent article published by The Information demonstrated Apple employees improvising subpar methods to communicate, for instance, tracing shapes in the air to describe components instead of having them in hand or make decisions on grainy photos from the manufacturing process instead of in-person observations. Although Apple’s obstinate reliance on face-to-face meeting and secretive nature is an astute decision, it has conversely hindered employees’ ability to be productive. Apple is visibly not alone in this — numerous companies across the nation have cancelled their internship programs whether it’s due to cutting costs or not having the IT infrastructure in place to support new employees. The economic impact of the move to online would be more visible in the months and even years to come.

While some firms may end up being “losers” in the short-term, many firms, especially technology, will come out as “winners” in the long-term. Cloud computing has already seen a rise in usage as companies find it more convenient to access Amazon’s, Microsoft’s, or Google’s infrastructure remotely than their own data centers. Microsoft Teams, an enterprise messaging and collaboration tool, has seen tremendous growth in the last week. Grocery delivery apps — with Walmart, Amazon, Shipt, and Instacart in the space — have similarly seen record numbers of downloads. Apple’s and Google’s app store revenue has both risen significantly with Netflix, Facebook’s WhatsApp, and Twitch also gaining volume. Schools across the nation have switched to delivering instruction via Zoom hand-over-fist without regard to its many security flaws. The adoption and growth of technology is accelerating and are very much indicative of how they will be used in the upcoming decade.

• “How Apple Is Working From Home”
• “Big tech could emerge stronger from COVID-19”
• “Are Zoom Chats Private? Here’s Why You Should Think Before Opening The App”