The positive impact COVID-19 and digital technology has had on my hometown

My village life

For over 19 years, I had my base in the countryside. My parents fell in love with their first house just a couple of years before my big sister was born, and 31 years and counting, the house is still their home. The little town has about 240 inhabitants, including my family. It used to have a small store and even a school, but it is tough nowadays for small villages to manage. Even though there wasn’t much to do, our neighbourhood community was strong, and nature surrounded the town from all sides, which created an isolated piece of heaven. I loved that we, as children, could play on the streets without worrying too much about traffic and that during my weekly runs, I could undisturbedly listen to the birds chirping. I wouldn't have given that up for anything, but sometimes I missed being close to where everything happened. Even though the town is only located about 6 km outside the 6th biggest city in Denmark, Randers, the bus schedule was horrendous, and there was a huge lack of relevant events. This sometimes made things quite difficult, especially if you wanted to do more. I sometimes felt like I missed out on many academic opportunities, simply because I had fewer options compared to people living in the capital. Nothing was served on a silver platter, and if it weren’t for the fact that I, from a young age, curiously looked beyond what was in my nearby community, I don’t think I would have been where I am today. 
 
Coronavirus was not only a bad thing
 
Just like everything else, almost all events, programs, etc., shut down during the pandemic. It hit especially hard on small communities that were already struggling, and with a flick, cities turned into ghost towns. People were desperate to connect, and it was during this time that I think many people, including myself, opened their eyes to the role technology could play. Online events started appearing, from cooking classes to knitting clubs to online lectures. Suddenly it didn’t really matter where in the world you were located, because, as we say in Denmark, everyone was together separately. This paradigm shift remained even after the world opened up again, and I do believe that this made everyone realise the potential technology actually has. The last couple of years, I have seen multiple examples of how small towns like my hometown connect online, spread the word about events and there has never been as many podcasts and online seminars available for everyone as there are now. Looking back, I am glad to see that things are changing for the better and that girls like me seem to have better opportunities than I had, but there is still room for improvement. Even though some people may be resentful towards the implementation of more technology in our everyday lives, I believe that we need to embrace the change. It is important to remember that strong bonds among neighbours, such as the ones I have witnessed, and a charming village atmosphere are not simply going to disappear.

Malene Vistisen Faseth on 06/09/2024