Digital transformation of everyday life – How COVID-19 pandemic transformed the basic education of the young generation and why information management research should care?

• Published in: International Journal of Information Management Vol. 55; p. 102183
• Main Authors: Iivari, Netta, Sharma, Sumita, Ventä-Olkkonen, Leena
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2020; Elsevier Science Ltd; The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd
• Subjects: Children; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 pandemic; Digital divide; Digital technology; Digital transformation; Digitization; Education; Information management; Opinion Paper; Pandemics; Parents; Teachers; Transformations; COVID-19 pandemic; Teachers; Children; Digital transformation; Education; Parents
• ISSN: 0268-4012; 1873-4707; 0143-6236
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102183

•Makes visible children’s basic education as a significant area of concern for information management research.•Empirically explores digital transformation of the basic education of the young generation initiated by the COVID-19 pandemic.•Reveals a variety of digital divides emerging and being reinforced as well as barriers to digital transformation encountered.•Argues we can offer a valuable contribution to children’s basic education and teacher education through our expertise on digital transformation. Children of today have been surrounded by digital technology since their birth. However, children of today are not equally equipped for their technology rich future: various kinds of digital divides still prevail in the society and affect the young generation and their digital futures. Schools and education of children should undergo an extensive digital transformation to be able to meet the needs of the young generation and their digitalized future. The COVID-19 pandemic has suddenly and abruptly forced schools and education indeed to engage in such a transformation. In this study we examine the digital transformation initiated by the COVID-19 pandemic in the basic education of the young generation, the variety of digital divides emerging and reinforced, and the possible barriers reported along the way. We argue that information management research should better acknowledge children, their digitalized everyday life and their basic education as significant areas of concern. We should understand them as well as allow them to shape the education we offer in the context of higher education, but we should also aim at influencing the basic education of the young generation – for the purpose of equipping them with important skills and competencies for their digital futures but also for the purpose of arousing their interest in this important field, maybe even as a career option.