Is AI becoming Big Brother? Human presence and emotional-state detection technologies are raising civil rights alarms bells. Although they could have merits for productivity, they’re also invasive and error-prone.

COVID-19 also led to a rise in online education. Technology leaders expected telemedicine (24%) and remote learning and online education (20%) to benefit the most from the 5G rollout, according to a 2021 IEEE report.

With many screen-time rules in abeyance and distance learning replacing in-person school, teens and younger school kids are reaping the benefits but also seeing the limitations of what digital technology can do for them.

As debate flares over the potential reopening of K-12 schools and universities this fall, 37% of US parents strongly disagree that their child would be just as successful with virtual/distance learning.

eMarketer vice president of business development Marissa Coslov, principal analyst Mark Dolliver and vice president of research Jennifer Pearson discuss whether distance learning works, what the knock-on consequences are and how parents are using digital to cope, handle, distract and educate their kids. They then talk about the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics, free Amazon Prime Video kids content and the impact Americans think COVID-19 will have on their personal finances.

Distance learning can be costly for some parents

Common educational disruptions included shifts to remote learning, decreased socialization with instructors and peers, and fewer opportunities to participate in school-related sports and activities. College-age students delayed enrollment, transferred to less-expensive schools, attended institutions closer to home, took gap years, and dropped out completely.

For many families, the shift to distance learning, coupled with the scarcity of in-person gatherings, is turning digital usage into an all-day phenomenon. Read more:. Yes, Adults Are More Stressed Because of the Pandemic, Especially with Juggling Work and Home Life. Podcast: American Teens' Favorite Social Media Platforms.

Distance learning will likely play a substantial role in the back-to-school season. And many consumers are already eyeing certain products as a result. According to a July 2020 survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF), more than a third of US internet users said they plan to buy a laptop for elearning.

The pandemic-related shift to remote work and remote learning, too, has heightened demand for new and higher-quality telecom services in residential areas. The need for faster and more reliable internet has created new market opportunities for US telecom companies, particularly as bandwidth-intensive enterprise solutions are increasingly operating out of employees’ homes.

State of the category: The computer/consumer electronics category spiked in sales growth last year as consumers shifted to remote learning and working and relied more on home entertainment. In 2020, US ecommerce sales for computer/consumer electronics grew 35.2%, reaching $178.69 billion—significant growth for a category that’s already established in ecommerce.

The screen-time wars are over in many households, with parents having surrendered en masse. In a period when large numbers of parents and school kids are stuck at home with one another, this is one battle many parents choose to forego, at least for now.

Virtual fitness, business collaboration, and distance learning are just three of many examples. With more development and more demand, VR and AR are increasingly being seen as viable replacements for in-person training, meetings, events, conventions, customer service, healthcare, and other activities. Big Tech sees big opportunity.