HOW COVID-19 INCREASED INTERNET USAGE

Martin Woolridge 3 years ago 3 min read

Even though front-line workers, and essential workers, still must travel back and forth to work, many of them have chosen to stay at home. Quarantined or not, the safest place to be during the pandemic is at home. Restrictions and rules have been passed across the world to try and stem the spread of the coronavirus, and its variants.

As people stay at home with their families, or their fur babies, or even alone with their own thoughts, internet usage has risen to an all time high. Statista shows a 37% increase in the use of laptops and computers, which supports the findings of PC Magazine, which states that there has been an increase of 47% of internet usage.

Work

Many people have shifted from working in an office to working from their living rooms, behind a computer or laptop. During the last surge of the virus, and the lockdowns that happened during it, people from all around the nation took to using their mobile devices, and cell phones, to communicate business matters. Live video conferences allow executives the ability to still hold their meetings. Virtual platforms have also allowed people to communicate with colleagues across the world. This decreased the amount of travel that was needed, which was beneficial due to the restrictions and closures. All this has increased the internet usage numbers and has caused a demand for faster internet with better technology.

Education

Schools, seminars, and universities have all been dealing with closures and lockdowns. When the doors are open, covid-19 infections cause panic among the students and parents. The solutions that came up, for the time being, were virtual classes taught online that the students had to attend. Books can be downloaded from the internet, as can worksheets and tests. Teachers can stay at home and take care of their families, who are also limited on what they can do, while teaching their classes throughout the day. Advances in software and technology has increased the quality of the virtual classes, as well as AI that can help colleges run their online curriculum. Many places allow you to work at your own pace, without having to attend set classes. This is helpful when you have a family or work obligations. When you consider the number of kids that were attending online classes, you can understand how high the internet usage has become.

Entertainment

The New York Times has discovered that the way people have used the internet has changed dramatically since the pandemic fell upon the world. Before the lockdowns, people used their smart phones, and mobile devices, more often when they were looking for some entertainment. Now, online streaming companies are pulling customers around the globe into their worlds. Watching movies and shows on televisions and computer screens have become the most common way for people to keep themselves busy. Movies are not even the top form of entertainment anymore. Shows that are seasons long are at the top of the list for many people. The reasoning behind this is simple. The more episodes that they can watch, the less time that they need to spend finding something to watch.

Wrap up

Overall, internet usage has increased so dramatically that it has put a strain on the service providers. It has made it hard for them to keep up with the demand, which is why so many areas are struggling with their service. New companies are setting up shop. This will decrease the workloads of the few companies that are present now. As technology grows, internet service will be able to keep up with the demand that will continue to rise as the world shifts over to virtual living.