Technology plays a major part in the lives of 7.8 billion people today. It has made its way to integrate itself with every industry, and currently, it even contributed to the deadly spread of the Novel Coronavirus (nCoV) or the Wuhan Coronavirus. The following are some scenarios in which technology has affected the population and their perceptions towards popular virus outbreaks:

• Big data is emerging. According to Segal (2019), “Big data refers to the large, diverse sets of information that grow at ever-increasing rates. It encompasses the volume of information, the velocity or speed at which it is created and collected, and the variety or scope of the data points being covered.” Believe it or not, big data could predict how the flu season is going to be. In fact, in one of the books I have read in the past, it could have predicted the outbreak of another deadly virus in the past called H1N1. The big amount of Google searches that involved symptoms during the outbreak of the H1N1 virus would have revealed a trend in the data, leading to the early prediction of the virus, even before health officials could.
• If you open any of your social media accounts right now, I could assure you that at least one post is about the coronavirus. Social media has shaped the thinking of the population. There are many posts lingering online that are falsified, even causing panic as the retweets and likes exponentially increase. In fact, there are some people who are posting a supposed connection between the Corona beer and the coronavirus, and this humorous post spread and led people to Google the said correlation. It is important that people share information cautiously because not a lot of people fact-check or think before sharing information. Tread lightly.
• Lastly, in seasons of big outbreaks, technology has played a big role in updating the masses. People have become more proactive about the coronavirus. The quick spread of information has helped people become more vigilant and prepared. Despite the false information lingering or the negative ways in which we use technology, we have a lot of thank innovation and technology for.

Sources:

Segal, T. (2020, January 29). The Deal With Big Data. Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/big-data.asp

Thomas, Z. (2020, February 1). Coronavirus: How Facebook, TikTok and other apps tackle fake claims. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-51337357