The digital era: adapt to compete

people sitting down near table with assorted laptop computers

It is the 21st century and we live in an increasingly digital world. We are constantly and continuously seeing the emergence of technological changes and advancements. Our lives have become very dynamic and it is impossible to live a life free of technological innovations. It would, therefore, be correct to say that we have entered a digital age or a digital era. This means that anyone who is made uncomfortable by this is forced to adapt since everything has been digitalized.

The digital era we are immersed in demands adaptability so we can cope with the fast-paced nature of our lives. This can be witnessed in all the different walks of life that present themselves to us. This includes but is not limited to the corporate sphere, the social sphere, the political sphere, and other necessary sectors such as health and education. This has been further enhanced due to the Covid-19 pandemic which forced digitalization. This is because all of our lives were put on hold and we were forced to shift every aspect of our life online and those of us who failed to do so, suffered. It can, therefore, be understood that in today’s digital era one has to adapt to be able to compete. Without this we will surely be left behind.

The corporate sphere

Firstly, the corporate world has become increasingly digitalized after the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. This is because businesses could no longer operate in their traditional sense during the lockdown. Businesses, therefore, transitioned to digitalization even if they were not in favor of it before the pandemic. This allowed a mass majority to stay employed and work from home which increased convenience for them during this lockdown. Digitalization, therefore, makes our lives easier for us. Furthermore, in today’s world digitalization is the answer so if we fail to adapt then we will be left behind.

people standing inside city building

The importance of social media can also be understood by looking at how seriously virtual feedback is taken. Firms no longer believe in all publicity being good publicity. Instead, they now have entire departments dedicated to answering and tackling online reviews and complaints. This shows how influential and significant social media has become and how it is an essential tool that is used to increase sales. It would not be wrong, therefore, to argue that the entirety of the corporate world has shifted online especially after the Covid-19 pandemic.

The social sphere

Secondly, in today’s world, it is not easy to stay in touch or always be able to take out time. This has only been further enhanced by the increase in global net migrations. Relationships, therefore, have become largely dependent upon social media since this allows people to stay in touch despite distances. Examples of this include how the entire education system shifted to online methods of teaching. This saw friendships and relationships also shifting into the virtual model to continue otherwise they would come to an end. Similarly, even people who have entered their corporate lives experienced this shift and saw their social lives becoming completely virtual. This shift made all our relationships digital and everyone, around the world, relied on social media and technology to keep us up to date.

The political sphere

Thirdly, even the political sphere has adapted to incorporate the digitalization of our lives. It is now common to see politicians using social media to update the public regarding important and time-sensitive decisions. This is purely due to the acceptance of the rise of technological advancements which have recently occurred. Aside from this, politicians and prominent political figures can also be seen answering questions and dealing with the issues faced by the public online to ensure that people can be communicated with directly without the need to physically meet. This was largely utilized during the Covid-19 pandemic as well due to the nature of the virus.

Other Necessary Sectors

This includes elements such as the Health and Education sectors. All of which are affected by and have in some ways been transformed by digitalization. To begin with, the health sector has started operating virtually due to Covid-19. In fact, a lot of hospitals and doctors have started consulting patients through video or voice calls. Similarly, even the world of education made the shift to virtualization as the entirety of the world was plunged into a pandemic that required us to socially distance


All of this very clearly illustrates how the world is now in a digital era and to succeed or win at this ‘rat-race’, one needs to have a very good understanding of technology and how it works. This is because all of life has been uploaded online and we must now navigate a sea of digital information to be able to process and map out our lives. The survival of the fittest, therefore, becomes a competition between who can and who can not adapt to this age of digitalization and this new virtual way of living. 

Bessie Simpson
Bessie Simpson
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