COVID-19 has changed how the world consumes social content

Report: COVID-19 has changed how the world consumes social and digital content as we all go ‘iso’

From Zoom calls, TikTok dances and the record use of the word unprecedented, lockdown during COVID-19 has changed the way the world communicates, connects, and consumes social and digital content.

New data from Hootsuite and We Are Social reveals exactly how the world's habits changed while in isolation, key findings include:

• Social media use increased with nearly half (47%) of New Zealanders using social media more, outpacing the U.K. (38%), Australia (38%) and the U.S (36%).

• TikTok became the most downloaded app in the month of March, sitting at #6 of the most monthly users category alongside long-time big hitters such as Facebook (#1), WhatsApp (#2) and Instagram (#5).

• Content creation and consumption increased - 57% of internet users said they spent more time watching shows and films on streaming services (Netflix was #7 most downloaded app), and more time was spent listening to podcasts (15% of men, 13% of women) while 15% said they created more content.

• ‘How-to’ tutorial videos increased in popularity with 34% of women and 32% of men searching for more of this content.

• Zoom calls became a substitute for in-person interaction nearly overnight. The app was the sixth most downloaded app during March.

• These unprecedented times even saw a spike in the use of the word ‘unprecedented’ according to global Google search trends.

• Gaming increased globally with 35% spending more time playing computer or video games.

• When asked about their preferred device to play video games, 69% of people surveyed said theirs was the smartphone, preceded by the PC (40%) and game consoles (26%).

• In April, PUBG Mobile was the top-ranked mobile game based on active monthly users beating Candy Crush Saga (#2), Call of Duty Mobile (#5) and PokemonGo (#9).

• Over a third of New Zealanders (35%) think advertising should go on as normal during the COVID-19 crisis, while the global average is 51%.

For more findings about changing global social media habits and behaviours, please see the attached report (Note: these pages are out of order due to the size of the document, with only those relevant included).

https://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/2006/Digital_2020_April_Global_Statshot_Report_2.pdf

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