The good, bad and the ugly of our hyperconnected world Weâre sorry, this service is currently unavailable. Please try again later. Dismiss Save Normal text size Advertisement Imagine what COVID-19 would have been like had it hit 15 years ago, before smartphones, video calls and social media. No Slack and Zoom to keep the workers busy in their home offices and no Netflix to keep us entertained. For better or for worse the digital tools that have kept us connected and informed through COVID now also hold us captive. And as the pandemic and our response to it enters its next phase, itâs worth reflecting on the pros and cons of our hyperconnected world.