By Ashley Young-
The UK lockdown sparked by Covid-19, may leave a lasting digital legacy, Ofcom has said.
The regulator’s Online Nation report also found that 40% of adults and 59% of older children create and upload videos on video-sharing sites and apps, something which Ofcom said is “driving an explosion in short-form, user-generated content”.
The report says that the pandemic appears to have sped up the adoption of online services to keep in touch.
A transformation occurred during the period of lockdown with adults spending a record four hours a day online on average – a rise of more than 30 minutes.
As a result, Ofcom notes that one in three now watch online video more than traditional TV, while two in five are making videos themselves. New industries are being boosted, if not actually created, by the dramatic changes in consumer behaviour.
Around 17 per cent of adults who create and upload videos receive revenue or gifts in return and thousands of young children yearn to become YouTube stars and maybe even make a career out of it one day
Video Calls
More than seven in 10 people in the UK are now making video calls at least weekly, up from 35% pre-lockdown. This trend is particularly noticeable among older internet users; the proportion of online adults aged 65+ who make a least one video-call each week increased from 22% in February 2020 to 61% by May 2020.
“Sites and apps such as YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok, which allow people to create, upload and share videos online, have never been so popular,” they said.
Harmful Experiences
Ofcom said that over 80% of 12-15 year-olds and over 60% of adults said they have had “a potential harmful experience” online in the past year, with the majority expressing concerns about going online (89% and 86% respectively).
However, 87% of adults – and 79% of 8 to 15 year olds – have concerns around children using these platforms. Bullying or trolling, harmful or age-inappropriate content and receiving private messages from strangers are among the top concerns.
Commenting on the report’s findings, Yih-Choung Teh, Ofcom’s Director of Strategy and Research said lockdown “may leave a lasting digital legacy”.
“The coronavirus has radically changed the way we live, work and communicate online, with millions of people using online video services for the first time.
“As the way we communicate evolves and people broaden their online horizons, our role is to help ensure that people have a positive experience, and that they’re safe and protected.
Lockdown may leave a lasting digital legacy. The coronavirus has radically changed the way we live, work and communicate online, with millions of people using online video services for the first time”.
As the way we communicate evolves and people broaden their online horizons, our role is to help ensure that people have a positive experience, and that they’re safe and protected.