Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, face-to-face interaction has been globally restrained by a drastic amount with the implementation of sanitary measures and lockdowns. Social distancing has led to social media becoming a fundamental platform for users, all over the planet, attempting to flee from the havoc wreaked by the pandemic. In that regard, studies conducted have shown a 61% increase in the usage of social media since the beginning of the pandemic. Through innumerable ways, social media has paved a way for users to cope with the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter have all played a substantial role in allowing users to communicate. A surge in messaging and video calls has been reported by the tech giant, Meta (formerly known as Facebook, Inc.), who claimed a rise of over 50% in overall messaging. In addition, the aforementioned social media platforms have served as a distraction and entertainment to people, especially the Gen Z through the creation of memes revolving around the pandemic. Millions of people scrolled endlessly though their Instagram feed just to pass time and kill boredom. Furthermore, TikTok has seen a remarkable rise in fame during the coronavirus outbreak with a growth of 180 percent amongst the 15-25 year old content creators after the pandemic broke out.
Lately, the main gist of social media platforms has been to role play as a messenger. These online platforms have acted as a major breakthrough in allowing the CDC, WHO, health care organisations and news agencies, namely BBC and CNN to pass on valid and trustworthy information to news consumers on a daily basis to provide updates on the COVID-19 situation, sanitary protocols to be abided to in order to prevent the spread of the virus and number of cases being recorded daily and spiking up the death toll. On the other hand, the proliferation of misinformation regarding the pandemic by untrustworthy sources has been faster than the spread of the virus itself as well. A plethora of users have trusted social media blindly and fallen prey to these fake news. The COVID-19 pandemic has been called the ‘first true social media infodemic’ by the MIT technology Review.
Imposed lockdowns have proven to be quite detrimental to the mental health of people. As a result of confinements, dysfunctional families have become an even bigger menace to the mental health of people. Many individuals have sought refuge in social media to evade their family issues or to deal with their loneliness. Counsellors have used social media platforms to reach out to people who required professional help and assuaged the fears and anxieties of many. Thanks to various online platforms, help has been provided to people regardless of limited physical interaction.
Social media has thus played a significant role to help people adapt to the ‘new normal’. The pandemic has had potent repercussions on the lives of all human beings and social media undoubtedly figures among one of the ways we have found to adjust to this new lifestyle.
Navisht Sukhoo
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