Digital Communications in the Time of Coronavirus

With social distancing measures in place to battle Covid-19, the world faces new challenges when trying to stay connected digitally. Increased use of social media, messaging apps, video conferencing programs, online entertainment, digital media or news, and internet resources is evident. People rely, more than ever, on digital platforms to shop for groceries and anything beyond daily necessities. Important and daunting questions remain as the world tries to grasp new realities in digital endeavors: Is the digital inequalities or gap widening or reducing? Are digital communications fair and trustworthy? What regulations or cautions should be raised for the digital world to function better or carry us forward?

Examining the scenarios in the U.S. alone, one can easily discern that a digital divide existed before Covid-19 hit. Pew Research shows that 25% of the U.S. population does not have broadband Internet access at home, and almost 20% does not use a smartphone. Other than the economic disparity, digital literacy issues can also be identified between people who use little messaging, voice, and videoconferencing, and those who are technology savvy.

The ubiquity of digital socialization and communications calls for thorough research on regulatory aspects of digital media use, including their ramifications for politics, journalism, public services, entertainment, gaming, e-commerce, education, healthcare, science or medical communication, and other areas. We have witnessed how detrimental it is to undergo an “infodemic” that misinforms the public, causes confusion, harm aspects of human life, and undermines credibility of our democratic systems. We need to educate the public about what sources of digital information to trust or avoid, how to evaluate claims and opinions, and how to stay critical and think from well-rounded and healthy perspectives to understand what is happening around the world. We must raise awareness about digital literacy through policies and mechanisms that come from not only the governments, but digital corporations and technology companies. Collaboration and coordination can create a digital world that portrays life from objective standpoints and delivers possibilities in a fair, just, and efficient fashion.

新型冠状病毒时代的数字通信

随着战斗新型冠状病毒而施行的社交距离措施，世人在尝试保持数字连接和通讯时也面临了新的挑战。社交媒体、信息应用程序、视频会议程序、在线娱乐、数字媒体或新闻以及互联网资源的普遍使用是显而易见的。人们比以往任何时候都更依赖数字平台来购买杂货和日常必需品之外的任何东西。而当世人试图掌握数字化的新现实之时，重要而艰巨的问题仍然存在：各阶层数字不平等或差距是扩大还是缩小了？数字通信公平可信吗？为了让数字世界更好地运作或推动世界的前进，人们应当提出哪些规定或警告信息？

就美国的情况看来，新型冠状病毒爆发之前就存在的数字鸿沟实历历在目。根据PEW研究中心的调查显示，25% 的美国人口在家中并不具备高速互联网接入的设备，近 20% 的美国人不使用智能手机。除了经济差异之外，美国人也呈现使用信息、语音和视频会议之上的差别。换句话说，并非人人皆精通技术而具数字素养，信息的传播和联接因而也出现不均状况。

尽管资源分配不匀，无处不在的数字社交和通信引发了对数字媒体使用的监管方面进行深入研究的必要性，包括它们对政治、新闻、公共服务、娱乐、游戏、电子商务、教育、医疗保健、科学或医疗传播以及其他领域的影响。我们已亲眼目睹“信息流行病”的危害有多大：它会误导公众、造成混乱、危害人类生活的各个层面并破坏我们民主制度的可信度。社会必须教育公众来了解应该信任或避免哪些数字信息的来源，如何评估分歧的主张和意见，以及如何保持批判性并从全面和健康的角度思考，以了解世界各地正在发生的事情。人们必须通过不仅来自政府、而且来自数字公司和技术公司的政策和机制来提高对数字素养的认识。合作和协调可以创造一个数字较为健全的世界、从客观的角度描绘生活，并以平等、公正和高效的方式提供各项生活的可能性。