Did digitalization come overnight? Most certainly not. It was a process that started back in the mid-1990s and is still ongoing. But today it is clear that digitalization has taken over the entire business sector.
In which fields did digitalization have the biggest impact so far? It’s hard to tell. But one thing is for sure. Digitalization has changed the way we perceive the world and society. New forms of knowledge and communication have emerged, and we are seeing an explosion of digital devices that are being integrated into our daily lives.
Digitalization has been argued to be the most important technological revolution since the Industrial Revolution, with its profound implications for education and society. Digitalization is also contributing to the transformation of our society and economy, and this is particularly true in the field of health care, where there is a widespread shift toward e-health and m-health. E-health refers to the use of information and communication technologies to improve the health of individuals, and m-health refers to the use of mobile technology, in many different ways.
But what exactly does digitalization mean? It refers to the transition from paper-based information to information stored in computers, which has implications for the way that we learn, study, and communicate. In our digital age, we’re inundated with information, and that information is often presented as a form of text, photo or video, as seen here.
Thanks to digitalization, we have so many resources of information available that it’s oftentimes overwhelming to find something you’re looking for. At the same time, it’s never been easier to do business, study, acquire new skills and connect with others on a global level. Geographical and other boundaries and borders have almost been erased, leaving the room for almost anything your mind can think of. Yes, anything is possible in the modern era!
Have you ever wondered what are the industries that have specifically benefited from digitalization? Although it seems like every industry out there needs to be digital in order to survive, there are some industries that are digitized the most throughout the years. Let’s dive into it.
Entertainment Industry
One thing is sure: the entertainment industry has changed for the better. What do we mean by this? Shifting from traditional to digital is something that brought enormous amounts of exposure to entertainers, artists, actors and influences of any kind. Public relations are no longer limited only to traditional appearances in the news or in newspapers.
With digital PR campaigns, exposure is now a global thing, and brands or individuals who have become viral have seen an unparalleled growth in sales, popularity or anything related to their field. Marketing has transferred into digital marketing, which is now one of the most powerful industries in the world.
New ways of marketing products, services and businesses have been invented and are being invented on a daily basis. Gaming and gambling industries are also thriving and virtual reality seems to be more fun than traditional games and everything our parents used to enjoy.
Retail
E-commerce has taken over traditional retails and that is for a good reason. Traditional retail shops were limited to the area where they are located, and it has been much more difficult for businesses in the past to get the needed exposure and become global brands.
When this industry embraced the digital aspects, it seems like the rules of doing business in retail have completely changed: with the focus on virtual, online or digital presence and user experience as well as user interface combined with ads and other vital ways of showing up in people’s searches. Finally, the majority of people now make purchases online and prefer it compared to physically going to a shop, which is also more convenient, time saving and more modern.
Education
One of the industries that has seen the biggest impacts of going digital is most certainly education. The educational industry has shifted from paper resources and materials to the online ones. Not only was the education industry completely restructured when it comes to technicalities, but digitalisation actually made education more accessible for everyone no matter where they come from.
Here, geographical boundaries have been erased as well. Many students around the globe who weren’t able to study before the digital era, can now attend any school around the world, as long as they make good results and manage to get into that school. Not to mention the whole learning experience, which has become tremendously more enjoyable than it was before.
It has also become easier due to all the fantastic tools that are now being used in the educational system. As a matter of fact, how digital a university or a school is actually a deal breaker for the majority of students nowadays. Digital standards and expectations have been established, so if an educational institution doesn’t meet the expectations of the students, they will probably pick the one that does.
Telecommunications
Digital changes in the telecommunications industry are pretty obvious. From simple phones, we now have so many channels of communication, that you actually have to make a selection of the ones that work for you; because it will be too much to use every app and platform out there to communicate with people (although we do use a lot of them simultaneously). From only one phone per home, we now have one phone per family member.
As you can see, the trajectory of this industry has reached its peak since we can also use computers and tablets for communication along with mobile phones which makes the number of devices for home even higher. This has also changed the way this industry functions in its core. Creating new job positions and new career opportunities for people who are in the IT industry and are experts in the digital era. At the same time this means archiving the old methods of communication and adjusting the whole industry to modern needs, which is exactly what happened.
