Emerging Use of Digital Tools and Platforms During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Rapid Review

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about social, economic, and institutional activities on a global scale to a halt. Physical interactions were restricted by lockdowns and social distancing, and people, businesses, educational institutions, and governments had to use digital technologies to continue daily operations. The paper discusses the new application of digital tools and platforms in the COVID-19 pandemic by quickly reviewing the existing literature, reports, and secondary data sources. It discusses the role of digital platforms in the crisis in helping people communicate, work remotely, receive online education, make purchases online, telemedicine, and digital financial services.

The study is based on secondary data collection through the use of pertinent sources such as academic journals, government reports, policy documents, and publications of the institutions. The results indicate that digital technologies were crucial in alleviating the adverse effects of the pandemic because they allowed remote working, conducting economic operations, and ensuring access to necessary services. Simultaneously, the fast digital transformation revealed a number of issues, such as the digital divide, cyber security threats, data privacy issues, and unequal access to digital infrastructure. The study concludes that the pandemic boosted the adoption of digital and emphasized the necessity of inclusive and safe digital development.