A recent survey conducted by Glow last weekend confirms that the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the majority of Brits to make changes to the ways we communicate, especially staying in touch with family. In fact, 41 percent of survey respondents noted an increased reliance on social media during lockdown. The main reason for this swing was – no surprise – to keep in touch with family and friends (75 percent of respondents).

With a host of social media platforms to choose from, the end-to-end encrypted service WhatsApp was noted as the go to platform, alongside Facebook as a leader. Some 65 percent of respondents cited increased reliance on WhatsApp, compared to 63 percent upping their Facebook activity. This preference becomes more marked when specifically contacting family and friends not living in the household, with approximately 53 percent of those surveyed turning to WhatsApp, compared to 31 percent choosing FaceTime and 22 percent chatting via Zoom.     

The rapid response survey was undertaken by data research platform Glow, and investigated social media usage in the United Kingdom during the ongoing COVID crisis. The survey featured 1023 respondents across the United Kingdom aged 18 years and older, and was conducted from 30 October to 2 November 2020. The survey included a representative sample based on current census data.

Of course, social media is a poor substitute for the activities we have missed the most during the past months – and that is sharing a meal with family and friends either in our own homes (32 percent) , or dining out together (27 percent of respondents).

Naturally, many Britons are now looking forward more than ever to Christmas, with 70 percent planning to have Christmas Dinner in their own homes. Around 15 percent of those answering the survey said they will be having Christmas dinner on their own.