Preventing the digital scars of COVID-19

In this commentary, we consider the ambivalent role of ubiquitous computing during the COVID pandemic and we point to the risk that some negative, IT-related practices associated with the pandemic will endure after it. We call these lasting effects the digital scars of COVID-19. The same IT that has positive impacts for some people might have negative impacts for others - often vulnerable populations, minorities and socio-economically disadvantaged groups. Some issues stem from the longstanding digital divide that characterises modern societies. Yet, the pandemic is exacerbating these inequalities. We are worried that some debatable uses of technology will persist after the pandemic is over. We therefore point to the prominent role of the IS community in enabling positive aspects of IT use during and after the pandemic, while mitigating negative aspects, especially in the long run. Our sociotechnical background enables us to see these dynamics in a processual and holistic way. To shed light on these issues, we analyse three key technologies widely used to deal with COVID (social software, AI/ML and robotics) and identify critical topics and associated research questions where IS scholarship should focus its attention to generate novel theorising and impactful practical insights.

Automated summary

This commentary discusses the ambivalent role of ubiquitous computing during the COVID-19 pandemic and raises concerns about the potential lasting negative effects of IT-related practices, referred to as the digital scars of COVID-19. It emphasizes the significant role of the IS community in enabling positive aspects of IT use while mitigating negative impacts, and highlights three key technologies used to address COVID-19. Analysis of these technologies aims to identify critical research topics for generating novel theorizing and impactful practical insights.