The year 2020-21 has been memorable for all of us because of the ongoing pandemic – the COVID-19. This year has been a pause for all of us, be it the IT Industry, Government organizations, Travel, and Tourism, Hotel Industry, Education sector, Fitness world, and the Export Houses. To keep up with the GDP, all such industries have adopted one such reality and that is Virtual Reality in the lockdown period. The mode of online communication has become the most essential thing for all of us now. From handling meetings to arranging marriages, from education to E-commerce everything has adopted a virtual mode of working. The same has continued in the current year as well and the situation is still uncertain about things going back to normal again. The year 2022 is also considered the year of virtual trends for now.
Everything Went Virtual During the lockdown
Lockdown has forced us to explore new modes of communication to socialize with one another. Being the only source to meet people, applications such as skype and zoom meeting has taken a massive leap in their usage among millennials. The same has been witnessed in the gaming industry as well. Online strategy games such as poker have found many takers during this lockdown year due to the restriction laid by the government on offline games. A very good example that has come to us related to virtual reality is the startup called Spatial. This startup has created a virtual reality platform by creating a virtual hologram using a user’s photo giving the feel of a virtual workplace at your place similar to what we have seen in some sci-fi Hollywood movies.
The IT and Education sector is conducting the meetings via video conferencing. All the classes for schools and colleges are being conducted virtually through zoom or google meet. All the IT Professionals are working virtually through their homes. One thing is for sure that Technology and digitalization have touched a boom during this lockdown and everyone is getting to know about such virtual gadgets. Not only this, People are even getting married virtually through online modes or with a minimum number of people during this lockdown period. Strange this is how technology has taken off.
Only the essential sectors such as Hospitals, Banks, and Security services were working as normal. Rest all sectors went into the online mode of working. Of all the sectors, the gaming and entertainment sectors are found to be the most profitable during this lockdown as people were staying at home and were looking for different modes of entertainment. The keyword “Texas Holdem Poker” is seen on the top of the google search history.
Travel and Tourism
The worst-hit sector during the pandemic is undoubtedly the tourism industry. The tourism sector has recorded the maximum business loss as this industry was unable to find any relief in alternate travel methods. The flights, Trains, Buses, and all such modes of transport were shut due to lockdown. This is one sector that cannot be moved into the online medium. However, a few websites tried keeping their business running through the medium of bookings for the future. They provided the best places to visit and shortlist the destination to decide to visit in the future. This was one of the activities to keep their visitors engaged with their platform.
Events and Meetings
When the lockdown was introduced nobody was in a position to predict its duration due to the volatility of the situation. Initially, most of the events and conferences got canceled but it was proving dearer to companies who wished to launch any new product in the market. Even though the selling of products has been done mostly through e-commerce but their launches are always done through real events attended by celebs and company top executives. As smart alternate virtual events started rolling out to stop any further delays. Top management of companies has also adapted to this new practice of virtual conferencing to discuss their agendas without leaving their homes.
Education Sector
Educational institutes were the first to switch to the online avatar of teaching. Though not as effective as an offline classroom, it has served the purpose to a great extent. The same model is now being followed by the primary education providers too. For freshers who are yet to join a higher education institute the concept of virtual tours of campus to decide among many choices of college is an easy task without moving from college to another physically thereby saving time and cost of travel for the student. It is a helpful tool that makes it safe for a student in this pandemic time.
Training and learning
Workplace training has been through a changing phase. The evolution of virtual training has impacted every sector where training is of utmost importance. Even if trainees are far from the training center, no obstacle could stop them from receiving their training. “Striving” has been a pioneer in this field with a clientele like Walmart.s. People have also engaged themselves in the game learning process wherein they have been searching to Play Free Fire games for their learning process as well as enjoyment. Since such games are mathematically strong games and hence help to keep the mind strong.
Real Estate
The construction and designing of new buildings require a meticulous approach. During the year 2020, when the lockdown was implemented, the Real Estate sector went on a bust. However, after a few months of the lockdown, a few companies innovated with the idea of designing the process virtually. Since 2021 is also noticing the same trend, things now are being planned on digital modes only. Getting the design approval and then constructing it on a physical basis was no more a struggle.
Fitness
Talking about the fitness sector we have seen that the Gyms and workout places were shut due to the lockdown. However, people did not lose hope and they went virtual in terms of fitness also. They started working out in their homes with the help of the Internet and technology. They started looking for fitness exercises through youtube and kept their focus on their health and fitness. Also for the Gym owners, they started giving online fitness training to keep their business running and their members associated with them. It’s not just about keeping our body fit but also the mind. During the lockdown, people have also engaged themselves in 3 patti play online games to sharpen their analytical skills. Such games also keep their minds fit.
E-commerce
While virtual shopping has been a trend for many of us even during the normal days when the coronavirus was not that into the light. However, during the lockdown virtual shopping and e-commerce industry has taken a rapid pace. Many e-commerce websites have enabled virtual rooms for online shopping and let the users feel the real shopping experience. Users can discover through the
Hence, virtual reality during the lockdown has become so important that it might go on even after the coronavirus era as the third wave of the Covid-19 is expected as per the news. Hoping for everyone to be safe and healthy during these phases, we have now become so habitual to the virtual world that we might keep working the same way it has also helped in the budgeting of few industries. Now the companies don’t have to spend on electricity, buildings, and all other resources that an employee may need. Instead, they just have to bear the expenditure of the online modes of an employee to keep their business going which is also a plus for any of us. So, why not keep working in the same way we are doing or we need to roll back to our old days? Let us know your thoughts.
