WhatsApp Usage increases by 40% Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

According to a study by a data and consulting company Kantar, there has been a 40% increase in WhatsApp usage amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

WhatsApp is the social media app that has gained in usage since the coronavirus outbreak. People want to stay connected during this tough time. They are using WhatsApp to keep in touch, thus the overall WhatsApp usage has increased by 40%.

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The largest global study regarding consumer attitudes, media habits, and expectations during the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted by Kantar. It was estimated that WhatsApp usage in the early pandemic phase increased by 27%, in mid-phase by 41% and then in the later phase by 51%.

There was a 76% increase in Spain in time spend on WhatsApp. Facebook usage increased by 37%. In China, there was a 58% increase in usage of social media apps that includes Wechat and Weibo.

The most trusted sources of information are traditional nationwide news channels as 52% of people say that they are a trustworthy source.

Only 48% of people find government agency websites as trustworthy which suggests that the government measures are not able to give assurances and security to the citizens.

Similarly, social media platforms are just regarded as trustworthy by 11% of people. As per Kantar, web browsing has increased by 70% in the later stages of a pandemic. TV viewership has increased by 63% while social media engagement has increased by 61% over normal usage rates.