Due to the coronavirus, everybody has been advised to stay inside. With being home for so long, there is only so much people can do inside the house. This has caused everybody to rely on one thing: social media. Many people have turned to their cell phones for apps like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Netflix, and Youtube to keep them entertained. 

Even before Covid-19, the world was based on technology like social media and the internet. So it’s no surprise that people will be spending more time on phones and different apps. According to axios.com, social media usage has gone from 20.8% from Jan. 1 to 24.1% by April 12. Also according to thedrum, there has been a “25% increase in engagement on Instagram and TikTok in the past month and a staggering 72% increase on #ad content by influencers. Apps used for video chat, like Twitch and Zoom, have risen dramatically during the lockdown. Private messaging apps like Whatsapp and Facebook messenger have seen up to a 70% increase in use during lockdown.” It’s understandable that all of these apps have spiked in usage since they are the “safe” way to communicate and keep in touch with each other. But there are negative effects to this spike in social media usage as well. It’s causing people, especially kids, to spend more time online which could lead to more cyberbullying. Also, the lack of face to face contact with others could distract students from doing their school work. Like with every situation, the bad always comes with the good. Continuing learning with online school and all of these apps are giving people things to do like create videos or video call friends to give them something to do instead of feeling trapped in the house all day. 

With the school year being online, and stores and other places still closed, social media usage will continue to grow throughout however long we are in lockdown. Social media usage could even continue to spike after the lockdown too because some might still be hesitant about leaving the house with no vaccine still in place.