For more than a year, Malaysians have lived a life in movement controlled environment due to the Covid-19 pandemic prevention measures, restricting many activities across various sectors.
As such, most of activities in these sectors are carried out digitally and electronically. Through this, Malaysia actually accelerates the technology, communication and automation process of learning.
This rapid process may cause some people to be left behind due to challenges they faced from financial difficulties to provide appropriate devices to geographical challenges like limited internet coverage, ineffective communication in digital or online interaction and others.
A survey conducted by Ministry of Education (MOE) in 2020 found that out of 36.9 per cent of all pupils do not have any devices to undergo the learning process at home. If this online learning process continues without aggressive efforts to address the digital divide among these students, it can lead to education gaps and dropouts.
Digital and online communication also seen to speed up the automation process in employment sector. When face to face communication can be avoided, it becomes time saving.
It also leads to increase job efficiency and reduced human error. However, automation also presents its own challenges such as the lack of human touch or interaction element such as empathy.
Human interaction is very important element in life. People are social beings and do not live alone by nature. In Islam, Allah SWT has created His creatures in pairs, "Exalted is He who created all pairs-from what the earth grows and from themselves and from that which they do not know" (Surah Yasin, 36: 36).
Allah SWT also created spouses among ourselves so that we may find comfort in them (Surah Ar-Rum, 30: 21). Moreover, human beings are created in diversity so that they may know one another (Surah Al-Hujurat, 49: 13). Such differences need to be courted through interaction in daily activities since at the end of the day, the most noble in the sight of Allah SWT is the most righteous person, not based on their skin colour.
Therefore by nature, people need physical interaction in various daily activities. However, the Covid-19 pandemic limits this. Complete digitalisation and online interaction in some activities cannot replace this. At some point, it may create a bigger problem.
For example, a teacher's physical teaching session is difficult to be challenged by online learning process. Children also more excited and eager to learn with friends at school.
Similarly, video calls to parents to replace physical presence cannot match the warm hugs at home. The loneliness felt by parents and children living abroad cannot be replaced completely through online communication.
Therefore, it is important for us to inculcate human touch or human interaction in these virtual communications.
First, the instructions and guidelines given must use simple and polite language since reading the text is not the same as listening to a briefing from an individual. Differences in tone when reading by various parties can cause confusion or misunderstanding.
It might also trigger tension between the parties concerned. This include the instructions or guidelines for employee working from home, school or doing assignments and others.
Second, incorporate empathy in online communication. For example, encourage a two-way interaction and not making immediate decision, judgment or punishment.
Third, stick to a time limit. Working or online learning from home can increase tendency for individual to poorly manage the time. It is important to have rules on time limit so that everybody can do other activities.
Employers also need to respect employees' personal time even though they are the ones who grant work from home rule. Parents or guardians also must not force their children to study all the time.
Let us strive together to inculcate human touch in digital or online communication to maintain healthy interaction among us. Development and advancement of technology should not distance us from the true nature of humanity.
The writer is a Senior Researcher at the Centre for Economics and Social Studies, Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM)
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times
