Member-only story
The Covid-19 Pandemic has Changed the Way I Learn About New Technologies — and That’s a Good Thing.
It’s time to refine the process you use for making informed decisions about new tech and be a resource for others.
Over the past year, many of us have started using new and existing tech. On one hand, there are many good outcomes resulting from this unexpected and unplanned increase in tech use. For example, tech development has sped up, and more people are experiencing greater personal efficiency. Users are considering long-term adoption of tech that they discovered or were developed during the Covid-19 pandemic, from prenatal telehealth systems to robot shelf-stackers and cleaners.
On the other hand, our responses to the pandemic have required rapid action and change that has impacted how we learn about new tech. I haven’t had the luxury of time to learn about new services and products before using them. Instead, I’ve been forced to use and learn at the same time, even to skip some learning steps completely. The processes I use for learning about a tech and deciding if I am going to use it or not have been disrupted.
What’s more, in some cases it’s no longer possible to make a personal decision about whether to use a tech or not. For example, many stores have implemented cashless policies that require customers to utilize contactless transaction methods. Schools and workplaces have transitioned to online information delivery and meetings. The compulsory use of mobile tracking apps is in effect or being considered in a growing number of places (e.g., Qatar, Malaysia).
In addition to creating yet another new, unknown situation for people to cope with during the Covid-19 pandemic, this rapid implementation of tech and the subsequent disruption to user learning and decision-making can increase the risk of unintended consequences. If people aren’t fully informed about the tech they are using (e.g., the pros and cons, limitations, intended purpose, data use), then there can be rapid, widespread unintended consequences.
There is also the question of whether the new process of tech introduction and use is appropriate, and if it should be continued in the future.
