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These days, our lives are spent indoors and online. What are people around the world doing on the Internet?

Lockdown measures had us turning to the Internet for information, entertainment, and social interaction, leading to a surge in Internet usage all over the world.

According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, time on Wi-Fi networks in the Philippines rose “13.4 percent week-on-week to 63.3 percent in the third week of March.”

In the same month, Vodafone, the world’s second-largest mobile operator, said that Internet usage in some European countries increased by up to 50%, according to British news website The Guardian. Meanwhile, American telecommunications company Verizon saw a 52% increase in virtual private network traffic, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Despite countries easing lockdown measures, Internet activity is still on the rise. In its Digital 2020 July Global Statshot report, global creative agency We Are Social reveals that 3.96 billion people now use social media—more than half of the world’s population.

If you are the kind of person who sees the glass as half-full instead of half-empty, you are probably extremely grateful that this pandemic happened in the time of the broadband Internet connection and 5G mobile network. The World Wide Web has become a vital link to the world beyond the walls of our home, allowing us to do our jobs, continue our education, and connect with loved ones.

(Also read: Six Tech Trends Emerging from COVID-19)

Social media behaviors around the world

According to We Are Social, this is what social media users have been up to:

The rise of video chat and streaming services
Given social distancing, it is no longer enough to hear the ones we love who are far away—we want to see them, too. According to The New York Times, Americans are using Duo, Google’s video chatting application, and Houseparty, an instant video chat with simple games everyone can play.

Streaming service Netflix added almost 16 million subscribers in the first quarter of the year. According to American business magazine Fortune, this is more than double the estimate of analysts on Wall Street. From K-dramas and documentaries to romantic comedies and action films, people all over the world are tuning in to media streaming services for entertainment while working from home.

(Also read: WFH as the New Normal: Perks, Pitfalls, and Pointers)

Teenagers and TikTok
The wildly popular Chinese social video app TikTok is a huge hit around the world. Everyone from A-list celebrities to your neighbor’s teenage daughter is creating fifteen-second snippets of lip-synching, dancing, comedic skits, and even recipes.

According to American influencer marketing agency Mediakix, TikTok reached over 200 billion downloads in April 2020. The agency also reveals that over 63% of the app’s users are between the ages of 10 and 29, with female users outnumbering the males nearly 2:1 in the United States.

With its huge selection of sounds, song excerpts, effects, and filters, it could add much-needed brevity to a person’s day.

Because of the Internet, we can continue interacting with our loved ones, entertain and educate our children, work, and buy what we need. Once again, technology is enhancing our lives, giving us access to important information and services, and bringing happiness into our lives indoors.

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