These past two years have been something else. Remote work, social distancing, and masks defined 2020. Countries around the globe had to introduce lockdowns to control the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. People were told to stay indoors. This led to many spending quality time with social media and cable television powered by Charter Spectrum cable.
There’s no denying that the use of social media increased during the pandemic. More people became active on social networking platforms like Facebook and Instagram. YouTube viewership spiked. TikTok became the most downloaded app of 2020. All this happened because a virus put people behind closed doors.
How was Life Before the Pandemic?
Life before the pandemic seems like a distant memory. Weekdays were reserved for the office. Interaction with colleagues was a daily thing except for the weekends. Speaking of weekends, I would visit different places with my wife. Everything was going smoothly. Everything was normal. I remember attending the All-In wrestling pay-per-view event at Sears Centre Arena in 2018. The event took place about a year before the virus outbreak. And boy was the crowd loud. These days, one can’t even think of opening their mouth before getting the attention of others.
How COVID-19 Changed the World?
The world as we knew it was never the same after 2019. Countries around the world announced lockdowns measures in the first quarter of 2020 to cope with the crisis. Little did the government knew that the situation would only escalate. So far, the virus has taken the lives of around 4.5 million people. It brought entire industries to the brink of collapse. Millions lost their means of livelihood.
Health experts began developing vaccines to combat the virus. Companies announced contingency plans amid mass layoffs. Schools and universities became the first to transition to online communication. Authorities banned public gatherings. People who tested positive for the virus were told to isolate themselves. It was indeed a terrible year.
How Technology Benefitted from the Pandemic?
Though the virus turned the world upside down, it also enabled growth in the technological sector. Organizations began leveraging the latest tools to reduce costs and save themselves from permanent closure. Industries realized the importance of automation. Small businesses started exploring the potential of automated answering machines.
Moreover, the number of active internet users increased during the pandemic. Today, over 48% of the world’s population owns a smartphone. That means some 3.8 billion people use smartphones. The numbers speak for themselves. The highest uptick was recorded amid the pandemic. Because more people are using smartphones than ever, the number of active internet users has also reached 4.66 billion. These individuals make up 59% of the world’s population.
How COVID-19 Triggered Use of social media?
Numerous researches show that the use of social media increased during corona-induced lockdowns. Social networking apps like Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter have seen an unprecedented uptick in use during the past several months. More than 80% of those surveyed said they had been spending more time on their smartphones during the lockdown.
Moreover, the pandemic also created more demand for video conferencing applications like Zoom and Skype. Surveys show that the demand for videoconferencing tools increased by over 75% during the pandemic. This is because companies and individuals alike opted for applications that support video calling. Zoom alone became extremely popular during the lockdown period.
How the Pandemic Redefined Shopping?
I cannot remember the last time I went to a Chick-fil-A takeaway outlet to get my order. Ever since the pandemic, I have been placing orders online. Why bother going outside to get something you can receive your orders at your doorstep? Safe to say that the pandemic has completely changed the shopping experience.
People are happy with placing orders online. They know that they can get a personalized shopping experience as well as great discounts. Technology like artificial intelligence and machine learning has made things extremely easy and convenient for us. You can get anything you like from e-stores. You no longer have to commute to the store to get groceries or even pay your bills.
Conclusion
Yes, the lockdown forced people to stay indoors but it also increased their exposure to tech and social media. The technology industry has experienced a great boom during the pandemic. People are using social media now more than ever.
