Here’s How the Internet Changed the Dynamic During Covid19 Pandemic

The Covid19 pandemic and the lockdown has disrupted our lives completely.

11:33 02 June 2020

Everything is shut. No movie theaters are open. No restaurants to dine in. Everyone is now stuck at home to limit the spread. We now hide behind a face mask and get on Zoom or Skype or Google Meet to talk to others. And suddenly the saying “humans are social animals” looks irrelevant and meaningless with the new social distancing rules in place. While all of this is a tad too tough for us to come to terms with, our reliance on technology has still kept us in the hunt. Thankfully. It has made this hapless situation a lot less miserable. Spending our lives on the internet is the new norm, whether it is for connecting, work or play. Being able to log into work from a remote location and communicate with colleagues thru virtual video conferences, shopping for items and getting them delivered at our doorsteps, consulting with doctors by way of apps, streaming all sorts of content. As the scope of digital consumption expands, more and more people are starting to go to the internet seeking new alternatives so they don’t fall behind and continue to get on with their lives. This sudden surge in interest and shifting user behavior hasn’t gone unnoticed with many leading tech companies. Among the biggest beneficiaries are streaming platforms, casino online™ sites, local news publishers who are putting their best foot forward to seize the initiative and give users what they’re looking for.

Streaming Services: With movie shows and public events called off, a lot of people are getting their daily dose of entertainment on streaming services like Netflix, Youtube etc. As the global shutdown drags on, streaming service providers are continuing to see a tremendous surge in traffic numbers and watch time, which is not at all surprising given the extensive library of content that these companies have in store to keep their audience glued to their screens. To be specific, the short form videos on YouTube is the clear favorite among cord-cutters and people who don’t have a subscription to any of those OTT services whereas Netflix is the undisputed choice for those with a OTT subscription. Both these tech companies have grown from strength to strength in this period of lockdown and are continuing to report massive numbers creating new records everyday.

Sports Betting and Online Casinos: In the absence of all major sporting leagues around the world, sports fanatics have been left high and dry, too. Thanks to Twitch, a streaming site by Amazon, they can now catch their favorite stars in action taking part in eSports tournaments including the NBA, F1 car racing. Much like sports betting, online casinos are another area that’s gathering steam. Lack of opportunities to bet on sporting fixtures has made online casinos the place-to-be for both serious and casual gamblers, who are now flocking online with the land-based casinos and clubs closing their doors due to lockdown regulations. The spike in traffic demonstrates a clear shift in behavior among people wanting to gamble. Apparently this trend is here to stay. Just think about it. Why not gamble online when you’ve got a wide assortment of games to pick from, excellent user experience and graphics powered by sophisticated software, exciting welcome bonuses and promotional offers and the ability to win big, to boot? With more and more people showing interest to participate now than ever, there is a lot of money to be won. And that means when you win, you win big. All these factors make it completely irresistible for anybody to spend time online on such sites.

Everything about our lives has changed radically in a matter of months due to this unprecedented virus crisis. What has also changed is the way we looked at using the internet has undergone a radical change. Although it may seem like the world has come to a screeching halt, the internet has allowed us to take control of the situation. It has made sure that we can still get our work done, interact with one another, and enjoy our downtime within the comfort of our home- everything without running a risk of getting infected. It really feels good to see that these are some of the few things that still remain unchanged.