One of the cities that never sleeps is now having an early night against its will.
And because not even wartime stopped Londoners’ social lives, the internet is facing a new challenge these days, as the world has moved online to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
According to ISP (Internet Service Provider), video streaming usage on their service has increased over 40% since the WHO (World Health Organization) declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic, while Vodafone reports a 50% increase in internet use.
Coronavirus, a test for this generation, challenges the individual and society to find solutions to a normal life and to appreciate what has been lost: the human connection.
In the wake of coronavirus closures, having a social life has become more challenging. Many people are turning to the digital platforms to keep their social lives alive and to stay connected at the same time.
Concert and events are adapting to life under lockdown.
One World: Together At Home, a broadcast event put together by the Global Citizen movement and WHO, was meant to unite the world and celebrate the essential workers. Lady Gaga, who organised the line-up, called it “a love letter to the world”.
Celebrities as Taylor Swift, David Beckham and Billie Eilish took over online platforms to bring messages and live music in everyone’s houses.
The eight-hour show, broadcast on Saturday 18 April, was watched by 20.7 million viewers, according to Nielsen, a global measurement and data analytics company.
“I would have never imagined this to happen at home,” Malina Chindea, 32, a hotel receptionist in Kensington, told Diverse. “It was an escape from reality, a fairy tale.”
Romance goes online, as all the aspects of social life adapt to measures under coronavirus time.
As governments introduced social distancing measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic, online dating platforms have noticed an increase in usage in the recent weeks.“Is the human instinct, the desire to connect with other people, to start a romantic relationship”, said Martha Molina, 27, a Polish fashion designer based in London.
Tinder, one of the most popular dating apps has seen an increase of 12% on British users while telling them that “social distancing doesn’t have to mean disconnecting”, and advising people to stay safe because it is “more important” than dating.
Stefan-Pierre Tomlin, 30, a model who lives in London, became famous after being nominated the “Tinder’s most swiped right man” by Cosmopolitan in 2017.
Stefan-Pierre, model/photo credit: Luminita Roman
He says: “It’s a great way to spend more time getting to know someone instead of rushing into things!
“People have a lot more free time to invest into conversations, as before everyone who rushed into it had it in their mind that there was always another person, just a text message away.”
created by Luminita Roman
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