ISLAMABAD – The increasing digitization of life has brought about drastictransformation in socio-cultural and economic landscape of Pakistan duringthe last two decades with exponential growth in use of electronic gadgetsand tools of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs).
The electronic gadgets have become a commonplace phenomenon of everydaylife in almost every household even in the remotest parts of the country.Therefore, if anything happens worth watching or reading in any part of theglobe, it does not go unnoticed on social media. Similarly, the trending(the stuff of your choice) that appears on the screen keeps the viewermentally engaged for hours.
Everything has been brought down to the pocket size minicomputer on thepalm of the consumer. It is a whole world of socialization with a number ofsocial media websites. The Facebook and whatsapp groups of friends, familymembers and colleagues have once again virtually connected people.
The IT has provided alternate means to almost everything from education tocitizen-government interaction, economy to market-customer relations,socialization to marketing, healthcare to banking sector, praying tomourning, greetings to happy birthday wishes, sports to entertainment,media to business, Google maps to webinars, YouTube Channels to onlinenewspaper, e-commerce to online games, e-payment to online transaction,online shopping to digital tourism. Artificial Intelligence (IA), robotics,Internet of Things (IoT), big data, automation, cloud computing, andmobility had a growing effect over the industry, economy and socio-culturalenvironment of the country.
Therefore, the incumbent government has pursued the dream to digitizealmost each and every sector for strengthening the socio-economic fabric ofthe country.
The digital journey has got more momentum in Pakistan when people wererestricted to their residences during the first and second waves ofCovid-19 to overcome the spread of coronavirus.The citizens were left with no choice but to use the gadgets forsocialization and other purposes more frequently.
The electronic digits during the period were being utilized moreextensively for education, official tasks and other purposes. Likewise, dueto online mode of teaching, the country has also witnessed an exponentialgrowth in users of digital devices during the new normal to utilize thealternate system of education.
Amongst the digital technologies, Smartphones have played a central role indigital transformation of the country.
The government alongside the public and private institutions is making allpossible efforts in utilization of digital platforms to increase engagementand improve service delivery to citizens. However, it would not be possibleto catch the pace of development without developing digital infrastructureand human capital for utilizing the modern-day technological tools.Therefore, efforts are still needed for training people to enhance theirskills and expertise for the ongoing digital transformation in differentwalks of life.
According to Annual Report 2017-18 of the State Bank of Pakistan titled“Digitization of Services in Pakistan”, the rapid digitization in areas ofservices, commerce, fintech, businesses, consumer interaction ande-government initiatives have triggered transformation in the country.The power of technology is explored for discovering new possibilities todeliver efficient services to citizens.
The online access has also made it more convenient and cost-effective forthe masses to avail the wide ranging facilities.
Talking to APP, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ‘App Desk’, a Rawalpindibased software-house, M.Tanveer Khan said that technological transformationwas inevitable in almost all walks of life. He said, “The corona pandemichas pushed us to learn more about the utility of modern-day technologies tocope with 21st century challenges.”
The virtual landscape has further expanded during ‘the new normal’ to workonline from home through different apps, software, Google Zoom, Google Meetand Microsoft etc. Muhammad Uzair Khan, a social scientist and educationisthas said that the traditional lifestyle would slowly be replaced by adigital lifestyle with online ‘likes’, ‘views’, ‘shares’, ‘followers’ and‘friends’ in digits.
He said, “Social media groups and pages have played a vital role ininfluencing policies and creating awareness.” This transition is inevitablebut only responsible usage of the internet can bring a positive impact onthe socio-cultural landscape of the country, he added.
Replying to a question, Tanveer Khan said that the internationalcompanies were very serious about the online content on social media andYouTube for kids. He said, “In order to avoid negative repercussions, don’tlet your kids make unsupervised access to the internet.”The 3G and 4G access to rural areas has brought about digitaltransformation at the grassroots level of the country, he added.