Modern Day Information: How It Affects Us Today

Information plays a huge role in our lives. Can you imagine what the world would look  like today if we didn’t have ready access to information? Would we be able to realize the impact of COVID-19 on the world? How about connecting with our families and friends from other sides of the world? Would we be able to keep up with new trends, discoveries and ideas? What about our education? How did the internet change our education system?

In the midst of this pandemic, we realize the impact of readily accessing information in our daily lives. Most of us rely on the internet to gain and share access to news and information about the effects of the pandemic on the world. It also helps us understand and engage with  the actions and programs of our government. Access to the internet is a lifesaver too, where health-related information is widely spread and can be accessed by everyone, anytime and anywhere.

A study conducted in June 2020  by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that nearly one-third of US adults were suffering from anxiety and depression brought about by COVID-19. A similar study conducted by the Philippine One Health University Network and the Southeast Asian One Health University Network released in August 2021 also showed that National Capital Region students experienced high levels of stress, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and difficulty in coping with the effects of the pandemic. To help mitigate the mental suffering of our loved ones, it is highly important that we constantly communicate, exchange “Hi’s” and “Hello’s” to the people who matter to us, wherever part of the world they may belong to. Let us maximize the power of the internet to gain information on what and how other people are doing and feeling. Never underestimate the power of communication. Whether it be personal or digital, it could change someone’s outlook about life.

What’s in, what’s out? What’s hot, what’s not? Quick access to information also influences the behavior of consumers. Online shopping became a trend to most shoppers especially in the emergence of the pandemic.  Reviews and testimonials shared on the internet became a big factor before clicking the “buy now” button. These became one of the deciding factors for consumers to shop to their heart’s delight without leaving their homes. Modern day information benefits companies to reach a wide array of consumers from all corners of the world. Thus, information in these modern times influences consumer attitudes.

The internet has also transformed education compared to how it was decades ago. With just a click of our fingertips, we are able to access a vast array of information. According to the results of the 2019 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) of the Philippine Statistics Authority, about 96.1 percent of Filipino households owned at least one ICT device and used it mostly for learning (73.8%). Even with little or no access to formal education, modern day information has greatly expanded the learning development to people of all ages. 

Indeed, information is very important in today’s society. It shapes our everyday activities, our relationships, our decisions and our education. It not only poses a great impact to ourselves, but it also changes our world. 

References

Mental health, substance use, and suicidal ideation during the the COVID-19 Pandemic (2020, August 13).

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm

COVID-19 related mental health issues growing among the youth | Rory Visco. BusinessMirror. https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/10/13/covid-19-related-mental-health-issues-growing-among-the-youth/

Philippine Statistics Authority | Republic of the Philippines. (n.d.). https://psa.gov.ph/press-releases/id/163686