How 2020 transformed us and social media

2020 transformed us, there is no doubt about that. We have broken barriers, fought, adapted, learnt new skills and facts about ourselves, and immersed ourselves into social media. With all the ups and downs, we need a reminder of all the milestones that we have celebrated (in numbers) as we move into 2021- with hopefully a resolution to the pandemic!

2020 WAS A BIG ONE FOR SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media users have passed the 3.8 billion mark! That is more than half of the world’s population! Compare to last year, the number of users has increased by 9%. That means almost 321 million people decided to create new social media accounts this year and find solace in online content (we are looking at you TikTok and Instagram!).

Amazon, Zomato and every other delivery service to the rescue!

This year’s global events have encouraged us all to stay home. We relied on online deliveries for shopping, groceries and when we were craving for a meal professionally prepared by a chef. UAE’s online grocery searches jumped 560%, terms like ‘online pharmacy’ rose 238% and ‘pharmacy delivery’ climbed by 184% as residents began to prefer places that have delivery options. 

Let’s face it, we are not all talented cooks. Once in a while we prefer to have food prepared by someone more skilled than us. Hence, food delivery outlets also saw an increase in search volume with Zomato seeing a 55% increase during the same period, and searches for Uber Eats rose by 96%.

MINDFULNESS

There was a lot of noise this year, whether it was on the news, hearing opinions or facing them personally. Many people had to turn to meditation and de-stressing exercises to drown out those noises and find mental peace. Applications concerning mental wellness, and specifically, those focused on meditation, dealing with anxiety and helping users fall asleep have seen a surge in downloads this year. 

Some apps saw an increase in downloads of approx. about 3.9 million with a rise of nearly 31% in only 3 months!

ADAPTING TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE

Being cooped up indoors and focussing on not catching a certain virus made us aware of how much we should take care of ourselves physically. 2020 has made us realise the impact fitness has on our wellbeing. Staying active and productive proved to be the best way to cope with the lockdown. The fact that daily exercise does really improve lives is now much more appreciated than EVER!

People who focussed on taking care of themselves saw a drastic improvement in their quality of sleep. Their minds felt clearer, their mood was stable, and their drive to maintain good habits increased to an all-time high! 

That’s a wrap for the year 2020! Here’s hoping 2021 encourages everyone to maintain good health, happiness, and to feel peace from within. 

See you all in the new year, Team Coffee Communications.