Remote Worker’s Favourite Online Activities During The Covid-19 Lockdown 
Published: 2020-08-17 05:23:56

<p>Zoom-fatigue. Remote workers never imagined an  introduction to the concept. </p>
<p>Well, the fatigue is real. So is the need to  vent off that fatigue with rewarding online activities. </p>
<p>Even though you couldn’t go out to your  favourite pub or take a walk in the park, the virtual world has a host of  possibilities for you during a lockdown.</p>
<p>Here’s a compilation of the most popular  online activities during this year’s Covid-19 lockdown. <br>
<img src="https://storage.needpix.com/rsynced_images/social-media-1405601_1280.png">
<h1><a name="_1fob9te"></a>The Most Popular Online Activities</h1>
<p>Confined to their rooms, people <a href="https://officearrow.com/a-guide-to-working-from-home/">working from home</a> have turned to the internet to socialise, educate and entertain  themselves. </p>
<h3><a name="_3znysh7"></a>Streaming Movies and TV series</h3>
<p>Movie theatres are closed. People are fed up  with the depressing news on TV. </p>
<p>Hardly a wonder, then, that streaming services  have seen a steady increase in traffic. Netflix saw a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/07/technology/coronavirus-internet-use.html">27% rise in daily traffi</a><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/07/technology/coronavirus-internet-use.html">c</a>. Amazon Prime and Disney+ showed a similar  trend, and both reported an increased consumption. The streaming services grew  by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/may/15/streaming-services-uk-netflix-amazon-prime-video-disney-subscribers-coronavirus">5 million subscribers</a> in the U.K. alone during  the lockdown.<br>
<img src="https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2020/05/12/13/49/online-learning-5163107_960_720.jpg">
<h3><a name="_2et92p0"></a>Online Education </h3>
<p>Lockdown forced the schools to close. But that  did not stop the children from receiving their education. 70% of the parents  who took <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/1267525/coronavirus-lockdown-most-popular-activities-online">Hyperoptic’s survey, </a>said that they turned to  the internet to maintain their child's education. </p>
<p>Data collected from Google Trends showed that  learning a new language via <a href="https://education.clickdo.co.uk/free-online-games/">free online games</a> was one of the most popular  endeavours by the people in the U.K. during the lockdown.<br>
    <br>
  Google Classroom shows a correspondent growth  of 2.5 million daily users during the first months of the lockdown. <a href="https://zoom.us/">Zoom</a> also  witnessed a meteoric rise of more than 4 million daily users for live online  learning sessions or tutorials.</p>
<h3><a name="_tyjcwt"></a>DIY and Tutorials</h3>
<p>Studies showed that more and more people are  using the internet to watch uplifting content. Be it a DIY tutorial or a  cooking class or gardening tips, folks in lockdown are looking to expand their  skills. Curiously enough, according to Google Trends, ‘how to bake banana  bread’ is a very popular search in the U.K. </p>
<p>YouTube is the go-to solution for anyone  looking for DIY tips and tutorials. And it has seen an increase in daily  traffic by an <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/07/technology/coronavirus-internet-use.html">average of 15.3%</a>.</p>
<h3><a name="_3dy6vkm"></a>Digital Socialising</h3>
<p>If you thought lockdown means social  isolation, think again. Though you can't meet your friends in person, you can  still connect with them through online video services and through the social  networking apps. If you feel like unwinding after a long day’s work then just  pop into a video chat room with your friends! <p>By keeping <a href="https://thelatesttechnews.com/technical-news/tips-tricks-and-how-to/how-to-fit-two-monitors-on-a-small-desk/">latest  technical news</a> in mind, you can simply fit two monitors on a desk in order  to improve you productivity.</p>
</p>
<p>According to Hyperoptic’s survey more than 44%  of the users had shared experiences via the internet. 59% of the users could  not think of a lockdown without the internet. And a third of those who polled  believed that they are now communicating more with others online than they did  before the lockdown.</p>
<p>As more and more people are opting for group  video chats online, sites like <a href="https://global.nextdoor.com/">Nextdoor.com</a> (+73.3% growth) and apps like <a href="https://houseparty.com/">Houseparty</a> (+79.4% growth) are seeing a massive increase in daily traffic. Facebook also  showed an average of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/07/technology/coronavirus-internet-use.html">27% growth in daily usage</a>.<br>
<img src="https://p0.piqsels.com/preview/148/940/55/person-sitting-on-gaming-chair-while-playing-video-game.jpg">
<h3><a name="_1t3h5sf"></a>Online Gaming</h3>
<p>Unlike most industries that slumped during the  lockdown, online gaming is experiencing a massive boom. Popular titles like  PUBG, Fortnite and World of Warcraft are seeing a<a href="https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/tencent-s-sales-beats-after-gaming-boost-offsets-china-slowdown"> 20%- 30% growth in sales </a>worldwide. If you  are a competitive gamer, then this is the best time to team up with your friends  and take on the world.</p>
<p>Gaming has some surprising benefits to it. Not  only will it help you unwind after a stressful day, but it will also help build  your memory and sharpen your concentration. <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51811015_Brains_on_video_games">Studies</a> show that conflict oriented or problem  solving online games like <a href="https://education.clickdo.co.uk/play-minecraft-with-children/">Minecraft will help build up multitasking skills of  children</a>. Multiplayer co-op gaming is also a great team building  exercise.  </p>
<p>The popular gaming streaming website <a href="https://www.twitch.tv/">Twitch.tv</a> has seen a whopping <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/13/21257227/coronavirus-streamelements-arsenalgg-twitch-youtube-livestream-numbers">50% increase</a> in its hours watched during the  first months of lockdown.</p>
<h3>Remote Working And Freelancing</h3>
<p>During Covid-19, lot of business have opted for remote  working. Not only this, but many job hunters have started freelance working.  They are utlizing this opportunity to showcase their skills. Digital marketers  are utilizing multiple tools. Similarly web developers are using lots of online  software to <a href="https://www.photowhoa.com/deals/zenfolio_ebook/">create  photography website using Zenfolio</a>.</p>
<h3><a name="_8aowrbux23ug"></a>Online Shopping</h3>
<p>The lockdown has led to groceries and  departmental stores to be closed or only offer reduced opening times around the  world, taking precautionary measures for employees and consumers. Many products  like antibacterial gels were high in demand because they are specifically  related to the pandemic and were hard to get in supermarkets when the fear of  the pandemic hit.<br>
  Google searches for a particular group of  keywords, such as 'Coronavirus symptoms,' 'eatables having Vitamin C,'  'antiviral foods,' 'coronavirus test centers near me,'remedies for flu and  cough’ have soared during the lockdown.<br>
  Therefore, many remote workers have enjoyed the  benefits of ordering food or any other items they need online. Amazon, the  biggest online retailer in the world, alone has seen <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/04/30/amazon-earnings-coronavirus/">a huge increase in sales</a> during the peak of  the pandemic.  <br>
  <p>There has also been an overall surge in online searches for <a href="https://techexactly.com/blogs/healthcare-application-development-guide-types-features-challenges">health  and fitness apps</a> as health and life become everybody's top priority during  the pandemic.</p>
People are looking for more online learning  sources and <a href="https://news.clickdo.co.uk/cbd-oil/">remedies such as CBD oil</a> to prevent the infection  as well as possible mental health issues. </p>
<h3>The Future of Online Activities Post Covid-19<strong> </strong></h3>
<p>The pandemic has forced the world to pause and  many <a href="https://www.londonbusinessnews.com/coronavirus-leading-to-more-work-from-home/">employees  to work remotely from home</a>. </p>
<p>This has clearly changed many aspects of life  as we used to know it as shown in this article. </p>
<p>The human spirit endures and continues to  thrive in the virtual world where increasingly more activities are taking place.</p>
<p>Many workers are getting used to working from  home and are not missing the daily commute to the workplace. They have  discovered that a lot of time and money can be saved that way and that doing  more things online isn’t necessarily bad. </p>
<p>It also has a positive impact on the  environment as O2 emissions are reduced as well as energy usage in huge office  buildings. And remote workers can also <a href="https://www.greenlivingblog.org.uk/green-living-tips-at-home-office/">go  green in their home office</a> to save the planet from an environmental  catastrophe. </p>
<p>As this analysis demonstrates, we can expect a  huge shift towards online learning and teaching, online banking and in general  virtual living as more activities move online. </p>