Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social media facts for kids

Social media became super important during the COVID-19 pandemic when many people had to stay home because of social distancing. It was a way for everyone to stay in touch and have fun. One study showed that messaging on Facebook went up by more than 50% during this time! People used social media not just to talk to friends and family, but also to beat boredom.

Even though it was used a lot, some people worried that we were relying too much on social media for all our social connections, especially with the pandemic making it hard to meet in person.

People all over the world, including famous stars, leaders, and even doctors, used social media. They shared important news, found funny internet memes, and tried to deal with being apart from others. But all this online time also made some mental health issues worse for many. This led to a quick rise in online counselling, where mental health workers used social media to help people who needed support.

The pandemic also showed how much false information, called an "infodemic," could spread on social media. Sites like Twitter and YouTube gave people direct access to all kinds of content. This meant users could easily see rumors and wrong information. This could really change how people acted and made it harder to fight the virus together. On the flip side, social media was also key for politicians, groups, and health organizations to share important and correct information quickly with everyone.

How Social Media Use Grew

More Messaging and Video Calls

Many social media sites saw a huge jump in how much they were used after social distancing rules started. Since lots of people couldn't meet friends and family face-to-face, social media became the main way to stay connected.

For example:

• The number of Facebook users grew to about 1.9 billion worldwide by the end of 2020. That's an 8.7% increase from 2019!
• WhatsApp reported a 40% increase in overall use.
• Zoom also became super popular.
• Global downloads for TikTok went up 5% in March 2020 compared to February.
• A new service called QuarantineChat, which connected users randomly, had over 15,000 users just one month after it started in March 2020.

Because many staff who check content couldn't work, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube had to rely more on spam filters to help manage what was posted.

Online Mental Health Support

In countries hit hard by the virus, online mental health services became very busy. This was because COVID-19 rules made it hard for people to meet therapists in person.

• In China, doctors used social media apps like WeChat, Weibo, and TikTok to share online mental health tips.
• In Canada, the government in Alberta spent $53 million on a plan to help with mental health during COVID-19. This included making phone and online support easier to get.
• The government in Ontario, Canada, also gave $12 million to expand online mental health help.

How COVID-19 Affected Mental Health

Being connected to others helps us feel like we belong and improves our mental well-being. This can lower the risk of feeling anxious or depressed.

However, too much information and constant social media use can sometimes make anxiety and depression worse. But it can also help improve communication skills! Following social distancing rules could make people feel lonely and isolated, which increased stress.

It's important to find ways to support yourself and your family during stressful times like a pandemic.

How COVID-19 Changed Face-to-Face Talk

The pandemic changed how people talked to each other in person. We started using face masks, keeping our distance, and staying home more.

• Studies show that nonverbal communication, like facial expressions, makes up about 55% of how we talk. Face masks hide a lot of our face, making it hard to read signals like intentions or emotions.
• Wearing masks made people focus more on what was said, which could lead to misunderstandings or not trusting others.
• Being disconnected due to masks, social distancing, and staying home also risked more social rejection and less community feeling.

The new COVID-19 situation really changed how we greeted each other. People started using greetings that didn't need touching, like "peaceful gestures" or hands on the chest. Also, business meetings, conferences, and school lessons moved online to platforms like Zoom and Skype, putting a big focus on personal space even when talking virtually.

How COVID-19 Affected Online Businesses

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many businesses to close or have their employees work from home. This led to many people losing their jobs. Families stayed home in self-isolation to stop the virus from spreading.

Since the pandemic started, many businesses saw a huge increase in online orders. Those whose sales dropped had to quickly change how they sold things to match new customer habits.

How COVID-19 Affected Visual Arts

When the world shut down, artists, museums, and galleries had to find new ways to connect with people.

• The Getty Museum started a social media challenge. They asked people to recreate famous artworks using things from their homes and share pictures online.
• Galleries like David Zwirner moved their art shows online.
• Artist Benjamin Cook created the Social Distance Gallery on Instagram. It hosted small art shows for students worldwide whose graduation shows were canceled.

More Online Engagement

A study from July 2019 to 2020 showed that active social media users increased by 10.5%. Instagram reported a 70% jump in people watching live videos between February and March when lockdowns began.

Another study in July, four months after lockdowns, asked people why they used social media. Eighty-three percent said social media helped them deal with the lockdowns. This was the top reason, even more than using it for education (76%), staying in touch with friends and family (74%), or work (67%). This shows how important social media was during the pandemic.

Because of the pandemic, people did fewer social activities to keep others safe. Students moved to online learning, and many used social media as a new study tool. Social media became a must-have for students during the pandemic. It was a good way to work together and learn new skills from home. For example, working with classmates on social media helped students learn communication and teamwork skills.

Social Media for Fun

During the pandemic, lots of Internet memes about COVID-19 popped up. One very popular Facebook group for young people, especially Generation Z, was "Zoom Memes for Self Quaranteens." This group made jokes about how much Zoom was used and how teenagers were self-quarantining. It had over 500,000 members by April 2020! Members shared and made memes about the pandemic, which was fun for many young people doing school online and needing ways to pass the time.

Different social media challenges also became popular. They helped people connect and have fun. One was the See10Do10 challenge, where people did 10 push-ups and shared it. Other challenges included sharing baby photos, dance challenges, and voting in candy and chocolate March Madness polls.

Also, a V-pop song called "Ghen" was remixed into "Ghen Cô Vy" to encourage handwashing. It went viral after dancer Quang Đăng posted a dance to it on TikTok, starting the #GhenCoVyChallenge. Teens also used TikTok to share their quarantine experiences with humor, connecting with friends and staying entertained. From January to March 2020, TikTok saw a 48.3% increase in unique visitors.

Makeup artists on YouTube changed their videos to show makeup looks that worked well with face masks during the pandemic.

In April, The Actors Fund held a charity livestream of The Phantom of the Opera from London's Royal Albert Hall. It raised money for 48 hours. Similarly, Phoebe Waller-Bridges's stage show Fleabag was streamed for charity and fun. Writers, musicians, actors, and dancers worked together on many concerts, live streams of old shows, readings, and performances. Some were free, and some asked for a fee or a donation to charity.

Sharing Information

Social media was used by news channels, groups, and regular people to share both correct and incorrect information about the pandemic. Health organizations like the CDC and WHO constantly updated and shared information on different platforms. They often worked with Facebook, Google Scholar, TikTok, and Twitter. Also, healthcare workers on the front lines, like emergency doctors in New York, used their social media to share their real-life stories of fighting COVID-19.

Correct and reliable information shared on social media is super important to fight infodemics, false news, and rumors about COVID-19. Watching social media in real-time can also help public health groups act quickly and effectively.

Doctors and nurses formed groups on social media to share tips on treating COVID-19. For example, a Facebook group for doctors had about 30,000 members worldwide by the end of March.

Healthcare workers also used social media to show people how hard it was to wear protective gear for long shifts. Many shared photos of their faces after work, showing marks from wearing masks for hours. Platforms also hosted audio and video diaries of personal experiences during the pandemic, like the podcast "Coronavirus Today."

Governments Using Social Media

Governments used social media a lot during the pandemic. For example, the Chinese government used social media to share scientific information about COVID-19 in easy-to-understand language. This helped people understand the virus better.

Experts say that when governments use social media well, it can stop people from panicking and help keep society stable. Governments should share information clearly on social media, using language that people understand. This helps stop false information from spreading and builds trust based on facts.

Impact on Public Awareness

According to the National Library of Medicine, social media mostly had a good impact during the pandemic. It helped more people learn about new rules, information, and safety tips. This wide use helped spread health messages online. Regular people could share their pandemic experiences and how they coped. Platforms like Instagram stories were key in connecting people and quickly sharing guidelines from trusted sources.

Fighting an Infodemic

The COVID-19 pandemic made the World Health Organization (WHO) use social media much more. When COVID-19 was declared a global health emergency, the WHO created the Information Network for Epidemics. This team of 20 people works to give correct, fact-based answers to rumors spreading on social media. It makes sure that if you search for "coronavirus" on social media or Google, you find reliable sources like the WHO website.

In January 2021, the UK Parliament talked about false information about COVID-19 spreading on social media. They heard from experts and representatives from big companies like Facebook, Sky News, and Reuters.

In April 2020, the United Nations started an effort to stop misinformation during the pandemic. This plan aimed to reduce hate speech and prevent false information from making online arguments worse. In May 2020, the United Nations also shared a guide on how to deal with hate speech related to COVID-19.

Also in May 2020, WHO member countries passed a resolution. It asked countries to share helpful information about the pandemic and fight misinformation that could stop efforts to control the virus. The resolution also said the WHO would use technology to fight misinformation and share scientific data globally to inform everyone.

Misinformation

The COVID-19 pandemic has been called the first big "social-media infodemic" by MIT Technology Review. This shows how important social media was for getting information and talking to people during this time. National Geographic even reported a lot of "fake animal news" on social media during the pandemic.

Studies show that many people started using social media more than traditional search engines for information. This influenced how they acted and sometimes made it harder for governments to fight the virus.

Social media platforms, like Twitter, became key places for news updates. But there were worries about false information spreading through automated "bot" accounts. It became hard to tell real information from fake news, which made some users doubtful.

False information was different in various countries and could be spread on purpose or by accident. This made the pandemic worse.

The computer programs (algorithms) behind some social media platforms might have accidentally helped misinformation spread. This happened because more artificial intelligence (AI) was used when many human moderators couldn't work from home or had rules that stopped them from checking content properly. This made it harder to stop COVID-19 misinformation from spreading.

Some news outlets reported that social media groups spread rumors against vaccines and against 5G phone networks. For example, a French group on Facebook shared a fake article saying the coronavirus was a "bio-weapon." These online rumors led to attacks in India, poisonings in Iran, and damage to phone towers in the United Kingdom.

Social media became a main source of false information during the pandemic. In China, false reports spread on platforms like Messenger. These included claims that fireworks could kill the virus or that vinegar could cure infections. This led to people panic-buying supplies, which meant professionals couldn't get what they needed. Also, old, incorrect claims, like the supposed benefits of Hydroxychloroquine, kept spreading even after the WHO stopped trials because of safety concerns. This could put patients at risk.

False information and conspiracy theories about COVID-19 were flagged, removed, or limited by Facebook and Instagram. For example, Facebook took steps to stop false claims about cures and prevention methods. However, how well Facebook's fact-checkers worked to stop false content by telling users the truth was different for different situations.

A study in May 2021 found that a small number of people were responsible for most (85%) of the false information about COVID-19 vaccines on social media. This led to some of these people, called the "Disinformation Dozen," having their content blocked.

Interestingly, older adults often see false information on social media. But research by the WHO shows that over half (59.1%) of people surveyed knew about and could spot fake news about COVID-19. This means misinformation also affects young people, with 60.1% reportedly ignoring false information they saw on social media. Dealing with this challenge means not only helping people spot false information but also actively working to stop it.

How World Leaders Used Social Media

On April 7, 2020, former U.S. President Donald Trump used Twitter and the #AmericaWorksTogether hashtag. He highlighted companies that were helping with the economic problems from the virus by hiring people and giving health workers needed equipment.

Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the British royal family also used social media to talk to the public. The Queen's comments were shared on the royal family's Instagram account. Before V-E Day, information based on the Queen's memories from a 1985 interview was posted on Instagram. Several royal family members joined Zoom calls with nurses to celebrate International Nurses Day. These calls were later posted on their YouTube page.

Prince William and Catherine Middleton let their Instagram account be "taken over" for 24 hours by Shout85258. This is the UK's first 24/7 crisis text line they started with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May 2019. The Dutch royal family used their Instagram account to share a video of King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima, and their teenage daughters clapping for first responders. The video also included a short speech by the King.