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How Has Coronavirus Changed the Use of the Internet?

BY READERS DIGEST

15th Jun 2020 Technology

When the pandemic started, some people were wondering if the internet could stand up to the rise in demand. The answer is not only a clear “yes” but this whole period made it even stronger. Here are a few of the changes that the coronavirus has brought to our use of the World Wide Web.

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One link to the World

Think about this: If you took out the internet from the equation in this unparalleled situation, how would our world survive? The real answer is simple: differently but not better or worse. It’s the fact that we know that the internet is available that is changing a lot of things. Thanks to it, people were able to keep on working from their home, others were able to keep contact with their loved ones and friends and most found their entertainment relief through it. Had it not ever existed, people would have stayed at home and enjoyed their family (if they had one of course) or created more since they would have had more time on their hands.

But in today’s world, the internet has become the one link that unites us all. It is the reason why people were able to forget for minutes and hours at a time through the use of Netflix for movies and series, Betiton to play games and Spotify to lose themselves in their favourite music. It is the reason why so many companies will survive and most probably grow stronger afterwards, since they were able to plan through Skype, Zoom and What’s App call. It is the reason why lovers did not fall into full depression, having to live away from their partner for a few months, since they were at least able to talk and see each other while sharing moments of their lives. There cannot be any doubts anymore: The internet is the one link that unites us all.

An Increase in Demand for Many Services

In the first three months of this year, internet use has grown by 25% in most major cities around the world, according to a study by Cloudflare. This number is reflected in the use of various applications and websites. One of the clearest jumps up is without a doubt the use of video calls. This should not be surprising since it is used both for business and for personal purposes (friends and family). PC Game stores have also seen a huge increase in their sales during this period. A bit more surprising maybe, is the increase of online grocery stores usage. People were virtually waiting in line as the stores were crumbling under the demand. Question is: Why would you not take advantage of the only thing that enabled you to go outside?

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