--- title: "Information age and digital technology against COVID-19" subject: "Technology, Environment and Society" chapter: 1 key: "semester_7/technology_environment_and_society:info-age-covid-digital" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/info-age-covid-digital site: BCT Engineering --- # Information age and digital technology against COVID-19 Technology, Environment and Society · Chapter 1: Technology - Asked in: 2079 Baisakh, 4+4 marks - Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14 - Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/info-age-covid-digital - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/chapter-1 ## Question What are the characteristics of the information age? Describe how the digital technology is being utilized in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic? ## Short answer The information age features knowledge as the main resource, pervasive ICT, knowledge workers, global connectivity, and rapid innovation. Digital technology fought COVID-19 through online education, telemedicine, contact tracing apps, data dashboards, mobile payments, and accelerated vaccine research, while exposing the digital divide. ## Answer #### Characteristics of the information age The information age (from about the 1970s) is the era in which information and knowledge, handled by computers and the internet, are the main sources of production, power and wealth. - **Information and knowledge** are the main economic resources. - **Digital technology** (computers, internet, mobile, cloud, AI) is everywhere. - **Knowledge workers** dominate; education and ICT skills decide income. - **Global connectivity:** instant communication, global markets, e-commerce. - **Networked, decentralised organisations**, remote and flexible work. - **Rapid change and innovation;** lifelong learning is needed. - **Service economy:** IT, finance, education and media lead. - **New issues:** digital divide, cyber crime, privacy, misinformation. #### Digital technology in the fight against COVID-19 1. **Online education:** schools and universities (including in Nepal) used Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and learning management systems during lockdowns; radio and TV lessons reached students without internet. 2. **Work from home:** video conferencing, cloud storage and collaboration tools kept offices, banks and IT companies running. 3. **Telemedicine:** doctors consulted patients by phone and video, reducing hospital crowding and infection risk. 4. **Contact tracing and tracking:** mobile apps and data were used to trace contacts of infected people (e.g. apps in India, South Korea, Singapore). 5. **Data dashboards and information:** governments, including Nepal's Ministry of Health and Population, published daily case data online; WHO and other dashboards showed global spread for planning. 6. **Awareness and communication:** SMS, caller tunes, social media and websites spread health messages about masks, hand washing and distancing. 7. **Digital payments and e-commerce:** mobile wallets, mobile banking and online delivery reduced cash handling and crowding in markets. 8. **Vaccine research:** computing, genome sequencing and data sharing helped scientists develop vaccines in record time (e.g. mRNA vaccines). 9. **Vaccination management:** online registration, QR-code vaccination cards and digital certificates for travel. 10. **Screening technology:** thermal scanners at airports, AI-assisted analysis of chest CT/X-ray images. **Limitations seen:** the digital divide left poor and rural students and patients behind, and misinformation also spread quickly on social media. COVID-19 showed that digital technology is now essential infrastructure in the information age. ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. In the information age, the main sources of production, power and wealth are: A. Land and labour B. Capital and machines C. Information and knowledge handled by computers and the internet D. Coal and oil Answer: C. Information and knowledge replace land and machines as main resources. (Key point: Information age definition) 2. How was digital technology used for contact tracing in COVID-19? A. Mobile apps and data traced contacts of infected people B. Letters sent to households C. Door-to-door radio D. Thermal scanners only Answer: A. Apps and data (e.g. India, South Korea, Singapore) traced contacts. (Key point: Contact tracing) 3. How did students without internet continue learning in Nepal? A. They could not B. Radio and TV lessons reached them C. Zoom was provided free D. Only printed degrees Answer: B. Radio and TV lessons supplemented online classes. (Key point: Education during lockdown) 4. Which limitation of digital technology was seen in COVID-19? A. Digital divide left poor and rural students behind and misinformation spread B. Vaccines were not developed C. Internet stopped working worldwide D. Telemedicine increased infection Answer: A. Unequal access and misinformation were the key limitations. (Key point: Limitations) ## Related in Technology, Environment and Society - [Information age characteristics and unmasking social problems](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Ainfo-age-unmask-problems) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 1 - [Knowledge and characteristics of information age](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Aknowledge-info-age-characteristics) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 1 - [Characteristics of agriculture, industrial and information age](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Aagriculture-industrial-info-age) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 1 - [Industrial vs information age; information as wealth](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Aindustrial-vs-info-age-wealth) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 1, asked 2× - [Compare industrial age and information age](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Acompare-industrial-info-age) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 1, asked 2× - [Short note: Information age](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Ainformation-age-note) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 1 ## Related in other subjects - [Research article on COVID-19 and IT in education](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Aresearch-article-covid-it-education) — Communication English, chapter 10 - [Notes and summary: COVID-19](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Anotes-summary-covid-19-precautions) — Communication English, chapter 1 - [Notice: social distancing meeting (COVID-19)](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Anotice-investment-company-social-distancing) — Communication English, chapter 5 - [Notice with 5 agendas: youth club, COVID](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Anotice-youth-club-covid-mental-health) — Communication English, chapter 5