How Covid-19 Affected Our Social Media Intake
Written by Trinity Duong
It’s no secret that Covid-19 drastically altered the patterns of every single person’s life in a matter of seconds. We stay indoors, we distance ourselves from the people we love, we communicate through our devices, and most of all we spend too much time consuming social media. Whether it’s binging TikToks or scrolling through your Instagram feed one too many times, social media has consumed our thinking more than it already has in the past. Some may begin to question who they even are outside of their social media consumption. Are they free-thinkers, are they the sheep that follow the herd? It’s difficult to tell how much we identify in ourselves that has nothing to do with social media. These thoughts have been pulled from how much we have consumed over the past year and you may be thinking about how on earth you got to the point you were at now.
Covid-19 without a doubt has affected our social media intake. Our increased engagement has skyrocketed since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. Instagram reported a 70% increase in viewers of live videos from February to March when the lockdown measures began. Beginning to understand how Covid and social media has grasped us can help loosen our consumption to seek better alternatives than staying on your phone twenty-four seven.
So what is it that keeps us reeled in?
1) Coping Mechanism
A study in July from Data Reportal - Global Digital Insights did four months after the lockdown measures were announced, polled the purposes for using social media to a higher degree. 83% of people stated that it helped them cope with the confinement. This was by far the largest response from the population in comparison to the other options. Self-isolation and social distancing can make this all too real and escaping into our digital worlds can absolutely increase our serotonin levels and distract us from everything else.
2) Education and Work
When online education and work has first announced the race to buy Zoom stocks shot up as they all wanted their share based on a prediction that this would become a worldwide profit. They were right. From pre-school to a master’s degree to the office all can be seen online through the tiny camera at the top of your computer. With the exception of hybrid courses with half of the classes in person and the other online, there is still a huge need to utilize this technology.
3) Keeping In Touch
Friends and family became the world’s number one concern when the pandemic was announced. Not only because it could alter their physical health but also their mental health. Many suffered from being away from others and going through the same motions every day. Therefore taking to social media to interact and keep up daily with their loved ones.
With all these reasons to be kept on social media, it helps us better understand our need for constant connection in our lives. Although spending too much time on social media can harm your well-being it is one of the life preservers for an otherwise sorrowful period in our history. We are all so eager to remain connected but don’t forget to take a break every now and then. Social media is only going up from here and it shows no signs of stopping so when you can find time for yourself that doesn’t involve a twenty-four-hour screen time take advantage of it.
If you’re unnerved by the amount of time you spend on your phone or consuming social media check out “Why Taking A Social Media Break Can Only Do Good”
