JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic has swept across the globe resulting in about 11.5 million confirmed cases and about half million deaths worldwide. The pandemic has forced governments and authorities in many countries across all continents to enforce preventive measures, including forced lockdown, social distancing and self-isolation to slow the spread of COVID-19. These preventative measures have increased social isolation and loneliness in people and countries that were devoid of these issues before the pandemic. In addition, rise in loneliness has also been reported in countries where it was prevalent prior to the pandemic but this time it involves mostly those people who were neither isolated nor lonely before the pandemic. In the current crisis and socially disconnected world, digital technology is playing a vital role in providing opportunities not only for social connection and networking but also for businesses and health care delivery. Numerous digital technology tools for social connection and business are available and being used by people according to their needs and requirements. However, there are different types of vulnerable people and communities who neither have access nor the resources to might not access to these tools; hence, they might be disadvantageous and stay socially disconnected and affected by loneliness, which is associated with social, physical and mental health problems. It is therefore imperative that the most disadvantageous and vulnerable people are included in the fold of digital technology so that they can connect with their loved ones and others in the current COVID-19 crisis.