Different Digital Platforms: Impact, Opportunities for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Youth
By Fawad Ali
Today with the arrival of internet and then with the development of digital platforms/ applications that is Paypal, Payoneer, MasterCard, UnionPay, EasyPaisa, JazzCash, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn and many more.
These platforms are vastly used for multiple purposes around the globe. Some are used for messaging, socializing, networking, live streaming, storytelling & posting. Some are specifically used for job searching, while others are used for secure online transfer of payments (Digital Transactions).
The scope of some of these well known social media (SM) platforms is no more limited to socializing, engaging and networking rather it can also be used for online payments, hiring freelancers, outsourcing projects and most importantly it can now handle digital transactions.
Clearly! The internet has brought up more opportunities to younger generations in terms facilitating them with finding jobs to socializing, gaming, finding friends online/ digitally and most importantly showcasing and selling up their skills globally.
The internet has impacted positively every aspect related to human lives. It has brought up some extra ordinary changes in human lives. The internet through artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics has made some complex surgeries, operations, and treatments possible today which was almost impossible earlier.
Automation in industries has made it possible to have mass, controlled but quality production. The internet played a significant role in making industrial revolution a reality which is now entering in 4th stage and is known as 4th industrial revolution.
Creativity and innovation in machines, industries and in production and products was brought up and was speed up by internet. It has revolutionalized airline sector, it has revolutionalized banking sector, it has revolutionalized defense production sector. It has forever changed data management and data recording, evaluation techniques/ ways.
Today we can hire our doctor for some treatment through internet, we can hire our sports mentor/ coach online, and we can have/ hire our fitness and diet coach through internet. There is nothing left attached with human which have not been affected by this revolutionary thing called as World Wide Web (www)/ internet.
Through internet we can work remotely from our homes which were not possible before. This has provided us with work life balance and we can both work and can enjoy our family as well. We can have online meetings through different platforms through skype, telegram, zoom, duo and meetup etc.
With internet applications we can recruit our potential candidate or may be a pool of candidates, we can screen our potential candidate, we can test our potential candidate and finally we can interview and can finalize/ hire our potential candidate.
The same we can offer our services through internet such as offering writing services, web development services, offering consultation services, also we can offer our art and designing services as well.
There are different kinds of institutions and academies working online which are providing tuition/ academic services to students who studying in different fields. It was not common before but after Covid19 these services skyrocketed.
Virtual assistants (VA) which is the future and is now becoming one of the new but very useful industry is expanding and is making presence in every field related to humans. Virtual assistants provide different services through internet ranging from offering/ teaching different courses to guidance for finding appropriate career path/ job and living purpose.
Data management, data collection, data storing, data processing and data interpretation was made possible by internet. We can interpret and evaluate data with ease and speed but with very minor chances of error through different softwares like EndNote, SPSS and MATLAB.
The internet has even changed the way of fighting adversaries. It has replaced conventional weapons and other traditional military equipments which were once used in the battlefields. Today even the world is moving to AI driven fighters, drones and towards robotic warfare.
The data links at the battlefield, AESA radars, senors, heads up display HUDS, and precision guided ammunitions, GPS guided missiles these all got introduced due to emergence of internet.
Online booking services whether booking or renting a house, a room in a hotel or may be booking a ride/ taxi from your convenience. These all are made possible by internet applications which were not possible before.
Fortunately federal government of Pakistan and the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have already prioritized this field of digitalization and they are working hard to motivate youths to participate in making dream of digital Pakhtunkhwa a reality.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has recently opened up Special Technology Zone (STZ) in Haripur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Where IT firms could open up their offices/ firms, they could sellout their services and they could train the potentials and that government will facilitate them.
Government of Pakistan has already given tax exemption to freelancers (Those who sell/ provide services online), to IT exporters which in turn could encourage IT (Information Technology) exports and could lead us to amongst the top in the list of IT exporters.
The government is also providing loans to startups, they are providing stipends and vocational trainings to IT professionals, they are also providing internships to IT students for the purpose to enhance digitization and boost internet based economy.
Let me mention the one very special government sponsored digital training platform from where I myself have earlier completed two short courses one about freelancing and the other about developing writing skills.
The name of this platform is Digiskills, it is completely online, providing top quality service/ trainings from top freelancers/ trainers and the best thing is that it is totally free and it is for every Pakistani regardless of financial status whether you are poor or rich, it doesn’t matter.
Though these steps are at the initial stages now but have already given encouraging results. The continuous increase in our IT exports is the one indicator amongst many. This increase in IT exports & emergence of new startups is a step closer towards government dream that is making Pakistan pioneer of IT export services..
