With most countries going into a complete lockdown since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, turning to the internet for recreation and work was the only option left for people confined to their homes.
As more and more people hopped on to the internet, their only way to the outside world beyond the four walls, an interesting transformation was observed in their online behavior.
Some of the most remarkable revelations about the transformation in our online activities include the following.
- Boost in online trading
Unfortunately, the lockdown led to the withering of many businesses, which triggered massive job losses and salary cuts worldwide. People started looking for avenues to earn money or invest in the hope of getting financial returns in the future. They realized the immense potentials of online trading and how genuinely rewarding it can be. The outcome was a skyrocketing spike in the number of online traders during this lockdown. Brokers across countries have unanimously reported on the increase in CFD trade volume as many started earning handsomely even during the lockdown. Since then, CFD brokers have been flooded with new clients willing to try out online trading.
- Hike in online gaming
Stuck indoors, many people turned to play games online to fulfill their sporting passions. Consequently, online gaming has also been on a constant rise since the first week of lockdown. It increased to as much as 98% during the entire period of lockdown. (Source) Also, more gaming enthusiasts willing to learn started visiting the platform Twitch, which recorded a rise in visitors by almost 20%. (Source)
- Rise in online streaming services
On the very first day lockdown was announced, the streaming sites such as Netflix and YouTube have been receiving overwhelming response from both existing and new users. Since visiting movie theatres and multiplexes was no longer an option, the time spent on these platforms rose to more than 50%, of which 70% is been received by YouTube.
- A major dip in traveling and online betting
The lockdown completely prohibited traveling of any kind. So obviously, tourism companies and websites noticed a fall in the number of visits. Along with it, hotel booking websites also suffered a major blow.
Also, since the online sports betting industry relies on live sports, it took a hit because there were no provisions for sports and other events during this time. Research says that online betting activity fell by 69% than it was before lockdown.
- Increase in the purchase of personalized gifts
As people have more time in their hands, they are trying to utilize it by checking out customizable gifts online. Another reason behind this is their inability to meet their loved ones physically and thus to make up for it they are hunting out these products.
- Less time spent on news websites
During the initial days of the pandemic, there was a sudden increase in visitors to news sites as people hunted for news related to the viral outbreak. However, about two weeks into the lockdown, this rate started dropping only to increase a little by May.
Apart from these shifts in online activities, Google was flooded with 'how-to' search queries, since the lockdown, indicating a rise in people's knack for learning new skills, with more time to spend at home.
