News in numbers: Data is having its day in the light of the Covid-19 crisis
I havealways been a words girl. Ask anyone who knows me, it’s a running joke. When itcomes to words, spelling, grammar, writing – I’m your girl. Numbers? Show me asum, a spreadsheet, data tables and I pretty much run a mile.
Yetsomething has shifted in the wake of this awful Covid-19 crisis. In thesecrazy, uncertain times, I – like many others, I suspect – am turning to numbersand data to help me make sense of what is unfolding. The first thing I do eachday is check the figures – how fast is the disease spreading, how many casesare there in my area, how do we compare to other countries?
Makingsense of the senseless
Iconsume line graphs, pie charts and data tables like they are going out offashion. Why? Because in a world that makes little sense at the moment, it’sthese numbers and, most importantly, the visual representation of them, thatare allowing us to piece the facts together.
Majornews outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian and Sky News all have sections dedicated tomaps and charts on the virus, which are updated daily to track developments.
JohnHopkins University, now with its own coronavirus resource centre, has fast become the number onesource for data visualisations regarding the virus, with several graphs, mapsand animations showing its progression.
Thepower of data
So whydo these numbers, graphs and charts make such an impact on us? Coronavirusaside, data has always had the power to paint a picture and tell a story. Datain its number form is a compelling source of evidence – we often find ourselvesasking ‘show me the numbers’, if presented with a theory or a point of view. Toexplain just how big a part data plays in our lives, here are some facts from Forbes:
“At the beginningof the last decade, IDC estimated that 1.2 zettabytes (1.2 trillion gigabytes)of new datawere created in 2010, up from 0.8 zettabytes the year before. The amount of thenewly created data in 2020 was predicted to grow 44X to reach 35 zettabytes (35trillion gigabytes). Two years ago, we were already at 33 zettabytes,leading IDC to predict that in 2025, 175 zettabytes (175trillion gigabytes) of new data will be created around the world.”
However,data has even more potential to engage and inform if presented visually. Whatwas simply a list of figures can be instantly transformed into a tangible,compelling visual, tracking a trajectory, showing a trend or indicating amajority.
Howtech brands can help – trend tracking and analysis
Manybrands and businesses all over the world are currently facing a fight tosurvive as the economy plummets, jobs disappear, and communities lock down. Fortechnology brands with access to and ownership of precious data, there is areal opportunity now to provide a lifeline of support to businesses facinguncertainty. For many of us, this is the first time in our lifetime that wehave seen a situation emerge and change so rapidly, making such an impact in solittle time without warning.
Real-timetrackers, daily updates and analysis charts tracking developments in sectorssuch as finance, retail and pharma are crucial for those needing to predict trendsand stay ahead of unfolding events. Now is the time to reach out and help theworld through the power of information – it may be a small step, but in thesetimes, it’s the small steps that can make a big difference. Who knew? I may bea numbers girl after all…