A report by Dubai Future Foundation confirmed that social media and psychological support mitigate the effects of physical distance measures, indicating that isolation in the home imposed the necessity of finding a balance between work and family affairs.
The Foundation launched the report entitled "Life after Covid-19 .. The Future of Society", to highlight the impact of social separation on societies and the mental health of individuals, the results of the closure of activities on family life styles, and the balance between social life and work.
The report, which was launched within the Foundation’s series of reports to anticipate the future of vital sectors at the level of the UAE and the Arab world after the end of the Covid 19 crisis, provides recommendations on helping the elderly and people of determination to maintain their safety and social security, as the most vulnerable groups of society.
The commitment of social separation - or, more accurately, physical separation - is the most successful measure in most countries of the world in the absence of a vaccine or treatment for Covid disease-19 until now, so all activities that require gatherings or allow them to be stopped, and the continuation of commercial activity, work and study has become dependent on the use of Of the Internet, which led to a sudden increase in the number of video meeting platforms users.
The report indicates that the number of active users of the Zoom application reached 2.22 million people per month during the past few months, more than the total of its users in the whole of 2019, and that this type of platform has become used even in social events, such as birthday parties, events and content creation And music posted on the net.
But isolation in the home clearly changed the family's lifestyle, and forced the family to find a new balance between work and family affairs, as well as helping children study from home. Although many couples took advantage of this to strengthen their relationships, it also led to high rates of family problems and divorce rates in some societies.
It is very likely that rates of domestic violence will increase, according to initial police reports and hotline reporting in several countries, because the necessary emergency measures to combat Covid-19 increase the burdens of women in domestic work, child care, and elderly relatives, said the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, Dubravka Simonovich. And sick family members.
The report considers that the great trend towards digital communications due to the pandemic has enhanced the potential for future social interaction. Throughout the Arab world, people have increased communication through social media platforms and their applications, such as "WhatsApp" and "Tick Talk", and these platforms were used to combat misleading information such as UNICEF uses the Tik Tok platform to provide reliable information on the Covid-19 pandemic in the region.
The report also showed that many psychologists in the region and the world are agreeing to create free virtual psychosocial support groups, which has created a space in which people share their concerns and interests.
Future directions
The report predicts that nurses and health care providers will have a greater role in home care, especially for those unable to leave their homes such as the elderly and pregnant women, so initiatives should be launched to train them on those tasks that may continue after the pandemic has ended, and also finds that sessions and support groups on the Internet It will continue to grow after the end of the "Covid-19" pandemic, because it allows the formation of new societies that include everyone and enables people to interact positively without preventing them from the problems of lack of funds or the distance of distance.
2.22
One million people monthly zoom the number of users during the past few months.