A huge number of people around the UK are using their mobile phones to watch Boris Johnson’s daily Coronavirus briefings. EE has reported that data usage on the network has more than doubled during the Prime Minister’s daily 5pm briefings.
Last Monday, Boris Johnson set a later update at 8.30pm to announce stringent ‘lockdown’ measures, and usage on EE surged by more than 5 times, compared to just one hour before.
With social distancing measures meaning people are staying at home, day to day lives have changed, and the way people are using their smartphones has changed too.
From staying in touch with friends to exercising and keeping informed and entertained, our routines have shifted and this can be seen in the way mobile data usage has changed.
EE has revealed that app use on its devices has shifted too. For one, with gyms and leisure centres closed people are exercising on their own outdoors, with the Garmin app showing increases in outdoor activities such as cycling and running. And with people staying indoors, apps related to going out and getting around such as Google Apps and Uber have seen their usage dip.
One of the apps that’s seen the most increase is the messaging app WhatsApp. Connecting with friends and family digitally is currently more important than ever as many face social isolation and social distancing means meeting up and face to face chats are currently not an option.
EE has shown that data use on WhatsApp has doubled when compared to a typical pre-Coronavirus week.
Another app that’s seen a huge surge is TikTok. The increasingly-popular site has seen 20% more traffic than typical weeks and this shows that people are using their smartphones for lighthearted entertainment much more than before.
