Millions of Americans are currently under lockdown due to the coronavirus, forcing them to turn to internet in order to escape their solitude.
An analysis of usage in the US, conducted by the New York Times, reveals how the pandemic has changed online behaviors as people are using desktops, video conferencing more and turning to gaming while being forced to stay at home.
One of the biggest shifts has been from a smartphone to a computer, as popular websites, such as Facebook and Netflix, have seen a drop in app use and an uptick in URL traffic.
With many practice social distances, as recommended from the CDC, applications like Duo and Houseparty have become more popular, allowing them to connect with others in a single video chat and play games together.
Around 245 million Americans are under some kind of stay at home policy as the outbreak has infected over 368,000 people and killed more than 12,000 in the country.
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One of the biggest shifts has been from a smartphone to a computer, as popular websites, such as Facebook and Netflix, have seen a drop in app use and an uptick in URL traffic
Apps like Google Duo, Nextdoor and Houseparty, saw an increase in downloads – all of which allow users to video chat while playing games with others. Video games have also become more popular since major-league sports have been canceled until further notice
The New York Times conducted an analysis of internet usage in the US from SimilarWeb and Apptopia to investigate how the outbreak has affected people’s online behavior.
The data reveals that starting in mid-March Facebook, Netflix and YouTube saw usage drop in their apps, but an increase of traffic to their online sites.
The report suggests that the shift could be due to the fact that people are spending more time online for entertainment and prefer to look at a larger screen, compared to their hand-held smartphones.
It may not come a surprise to many that there has been an increase in video chatting application, as Americans sit in their homes and yearn for human interaction of some kind.
Again, starting in mid-March, apps like Google Duo, Nextdoor and Houseparty, saw an increase in downloads – all of which allow users to video chat while playing games with others.
As uncertainty about the coronavirus also plagues the US, local news has become the go-to source, allowing people to get the best coverage for what is happening in their area. However, larger news sites are also seeing an explosion of new readers
Zoom has seen the largest increase, a video conferencing app that has come under fire for privacy and security concern – internet trolls are hijacking chats to share explicit content. Google Classroom has also seen more users, as hundreds of thousands of schools around the country have turned to online learning
Other video conferencing service have also seen a boom following many companies to enforce a work-from-home policy.
Zoom has seen the largest increase, a video conferencing app that has come under fire for privacy and security concern – internet trolls are hijacking chats to share explicit content.
Google Classroom has also gained more users, as hundreds of thousands of schools around the country have turned to online learning.
As uncertainty about the coronavirus plagues the US, local news has become the go-to sources for people to get the best coverage for what is happening in their area.
However, larger news sites are also seeing an explosion of new readers.
CNBC is at the top, followed by the websites for The New York Times and The Washington Post, which have both grown traffic more than 50 percent over the last month, according to SimilarWeb.
But there is one source that is winning the race – the home page for the Center for Diesase Control of Prevention (CDC).
Another interesting change in user behavior has been the shift to online gaming.
Major-league sports have been suspended until further notice and people are looking to get their fix other ways.
Twitch, the leading site for streaming game play, has had traffic shoot up 20 percent, while ESPN.com has fallen dramatically since January, according to Similar Web.
