Daily Times

The corporate sector, during 2022, is expected to truly embrace the hybrid working model and pursue the remote-working dynamics. This system was implemented in 2020 during the wake of the lockdown and was followed in 2021. In 2022, however, returning to normal will be akin to accepting this new mode of working from home – and occasionally from the office – as and when needed. The dynamics and perceptions, indeed, have changed to how work was delegated, completed, and reported.

Online communication tools, including video calls, business communication platforms, teleconferencing software, along with web and mobile applications, designed to help teams organise, track, and manage their work were openly adopted during 2020 and 2021. The world is returning to normalcy, however, the fear of Omicron spreading and the news of another lockdown to be implemented is still in the offing. In 2022, however, people are ready to return to the work-from-home scenario if that may be the case.

The digital world also went through a major change in 2020 with the launch of the Metaverse. This virtual world – when accessible by all – will become the new hangout venue to complete tasks of personal and professional nature. It will be a radical shift indeed, however, it will be a major step forward in making humans a part of this digital world.

The term “metaverse” was first used in the novel Snow Crash (1992) written by Neal Stephenson. The story was about how humans interacted with others through avatars.

The world is returning to normalcy, however, the fear of Omicron spreading and the news of another lockdown to be implemented is still in the offing.

Immersive gaming through PC, gaming consoles, and using virtual headsets were proponents of the metaverse concept. In October 2021, this idea was globally accepted when Mark Zuckerberg officially changed his company’s name to Metaverse.

The company seeks to expand social interaction to be experienced in the virtual world. It is expected that humans will use innovative digital applications to communicate and for purposes of entertainment.

It will also provide opportunities for digital marketers to connect to a new target audience. As for the cons, people would be compelled to buy new gadgets with the world shifting to 5G or higher bandwidth of internet speeds. Furthermore, people would prefer living in the metaverse, thereby ignoring reality.

Former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt said, that the [metaverse] is “not necessarily the best thing for human society.” He further added that “all of the people who talk about metaverses are talking about worlds that are more satisfying than the current world.”

The world in 2022 will also experience a greater magnitude of space exploration conducted by the US, China, and Russia. The James Webb Space Telescope, developed by NASA with contributions from the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency, was launched on December 25, 2021. The Telescope will gather hidden mysteries of the universe and the cosmos, providing a way forward for space exploration. Space exploration and colonizing space is another topic that will generate debate in 2022. Elon Musk has been pretty vocal with his ambitions to colonize Mars. He is confident that SpaceX will land humans on the red planet by 2026. This will perhaps remain a hobby for the rich and famous while. The common man will continue the struggle to survive in an era of inflation and stagflation that will rise in 2022.

The writer is an independent researcher, author and columnist. He can be reached at omariftikhar@hotmail.com and Tweets at @omariftikhar