Global Health NOW: The New Norm of “Constancy” and Global Public Health
Dina L.G. Borzekowski, interim director of the Global Health Initiative and a research professor at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Health

“We are beyond the tipping point. We now live in a world of constancy. Digital media are a pervasive and unceasing part of our modern existence. … In the new norm of constancy, initiatives can reach individuals as often as necessary, with personalized messages, any time of day or night, in any location. Barriers no longer exist. As digital media are now ubiquitous and always available, interventions can have impact at various levels in every conceivable environment. … As I discuss in a Health Education and Behavior paper published November 21 that introduces the concept of constancy as it relates to children, media, and health, this new always-on world has significant implications for global public health. We should use constancy and personal technology to improve personal and population health. The challenge is to understand if, when, and how digital media are being used and messages are being communicated” (11/21).