6. Global Trends

The Cambridge dictionary defines a global trend as “a general development or change in a situation that affects many countries of the world.” Right now, the coronavirus fits that description. All over the world, people are experiencing changes in their lives due to the virus. As devastating as the virus is, it is awesome how people around the world have come together and tried to make the best of it. From Italians having concerts from their balconies, to TikTokers singing Happy Birthday as they wash their hands, you can see how the trends have changed.



As more countries and cities are going into quarantine, more people are at home, either working from home, or they are students, home from school. This increase has caused an increase in internet usage. In China, as areas were locked down to contain the virus, average internet speeds slowed. Around the middle of February, when Italy, Germany, and Spain were hit, the internet speeds began to slow as well. And, as stay-at-home orders are being enforced throughout the United States, broadband speeds have declined around 4.9% in a week. (New York Times) Netflix has also tried to do their part to help with the internet speeds. In Canada, Netflix has lowered video quality for subscribers, a move which is estimated to help decrease data traffic by 25%. (CTV News)

Streaming services have also received a bump in subscriptions with more people staying at home. The major streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ will most likely have a surge in viewership. (New York Times) According to a Forbes report, Disney+ signups tripled between March 14 and 16, compared to a week prior, and Netflix had a 47% increase in signups in the same period. (Indie Wire) Disney+ even decided to release Frozen 2 on the service 3 months earlier than expected.

Social media has also seen a big change in trends. Facebook has had a massive increase in its use over the last few weeks. In many hard-hit countries, Facebook has seen a 50% increase in messaging over all it’s platforms, and voice and video calling have more than doubled. In Italy, Facebook has had around 70% more time spent on its apps since the beginning of the crisis. Also in Italy, Instagram and Facebook Live views doubled in just a week, messaging increased by more than 50%, and group calls increased by over 1,000% in the last month. (Digital Trends)

Livestreaming has been very useful for people who are in quarantine. Concerts have been cancelled, comedy clubs are closed, and people can’t go to church. A lot of musicians have been having online concerts in order to keep their music public. A lot of clubs and bars have been closed, and comedians have had to come up with a new plan. Many of them have gone to Instagram Live in order to send out content. (Digital Trends) The last 3 Sundays, I have ‘attended’ church via Facebook Live. It is really interesting to me to be able to do this, because it allows me to watch multiple sermons on Sunday morning.

Instagram has also been the starting point for a new kind of dating “show.” Thi Lam and Rance Nix created ‘Love is Quarantine,’ an Instagram dating show that pairs couples in “pandemic pods” using Google Docs. It was created in the same style as Netflix’s show Love is Blind. Instagram users enter their first name, gender preference, and phone number into a Google Doc. Later that day, the chosen participants are paired together and entered into a group chat with Lam and Nix. Each participant then makes three videos about the date, which is posted on the @loveisquarantine account. Less than 24 hours after the account was created, almost 400 new people had signed up for “Season 2” of the show. (Digital Trends)

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Texting our contestants!!!

A post shared by LOVE IS QUARANTINE (@loveisquarantine) on Mar 17, 2020 at 5:37pm PDT

Snapchat loves filters. Its newest filter is an interactive one with a quiz about the coronavirus. The filter has users answer coronavirus questions to decide between fact or fiction on the pandemic. After finishing the quiz, you can take a selfie and share the results as well as invite others to play along. All of the information in the filter comes from the World Health Organization. (Digital Trends)

Even talk show hosts have changed their formats to fit the new trend. Jimmy Fallon has started filming The Tonight Show: Home Edition from his house with his wife as the producer/videographer and his kids as the artists/musicians. Each night he talks to an actor or musician and they raise money for a charity of the guest’s choosing. James Corden has also come up with a live-at-home show idea, “Homefest: James Corden’s Late Late Show Special.” James will be recording from his garage and will chat with some big-name celebrities, including BTS and Billie Eilish. Viewers will have the option to donate to The CDC Foundation and Feed the Children. (CBS)






As we all try to adjust to our “new normal,” these trends will continue to change. Many people are hoping the situation will get better soon, and the actors and comedians and musicians will be able to get back to their routines. In the meantime, however, everyone is doing their best to keep everyone entertained in the best way they know how – through social media and the Internet.