Living with Technology: Technology during the Pandemic By Nipuna Fonseka
Source:Dæhæna – Monthly e-Newsletter
We are living in a unique moment in history. The year 2020 will forever be remembered for the way it changed the way we live with technology. The masses have followed and adopted Zoom Meetings, Conference Calls, Collaborative Creation Tools, Messaging Apps and a flurry of productivity tools previously relegated to the “Try It Later” box. The mother of all innovations is necessity. We need technology to survive, track, analyse, diagnose and report this unprecedented pandemic & the equally influential “Black Lives Matter” movement sweeping the world.
All the social media platforms have provided a form of release, camaraderie and mental therapy that no one could have expected. Governments turned to technology to contact trace the pandemic as it became quickly evident that traditional forms of tracking were just not going to be enough to control the spread. This trend of reliance on technology to help solve the issues at hand is now coming through in the future tech as well.
Just a few days ago, Apple announced that their newest upcoming smart watch, watchOS 7, will now recognise a person washing their hands and then start a timer to let the person know the optimum amount of time to wash their hands. This is the reality we are living in, the strange time in history where such a feature is valued the most, and as technology providers catch on, you can expect to see more apps & products that cater for our new
needs. One such example is Hustle Crew Membership (https://www.hustlecrew.co/) which is an app that has workshops, resources and case studies on how to be an ally and support Black people.
As we hit the midway point of the year, we look back at the blur of the first 6 months and realise the potential that technology has to make our lives better, to protect us and the positive role it can play in our future. I hope and pray that the second half allows us to feel this positivity and drive us to create a better tomorrow – a reality where our relationship with technology is collaborative, constructive and caring instead of co-dependent.
Nipuna Fonseka
TV and Radio Personality Nadarajah Sivam Passes Away
Senior journalist, film and television actor, and TV and radio announcer Nadarajah Sivam has passed away on 25 June 2020. He was best known for his contribution to TV programmes such as ‘Ayubowan’ on Rupavahini.
He has worked for many years as a Tamil news anchor, working in the Tamil section of Rupavahini and Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.
In 1998, he worked as the founding program manager and consultant to Suriyan FM.
Sivam became a well-known character in the teledrama and film industry through films such as Sudu Akka (1997), Yuda Gini Meda (1998), Ira Hada Yata (2010) and Selvam (2011)
Courtesy: https://ceylontoday.lk/
