Thanks to internet, 21-day lockdown does not seem quite unbearable, at least for urban Indians. Cheap data package, fast internet services have made it possible to work from home.
The dictionary defines internet as “the large system of connected computers around the world that allows people to share information and communicate with each other”. Behind the rather prosaic definition is a tool that has woven itself intricately into the fabric of everyday life.
The New York Times has published a fascinating story on patterns of internet use during the pandemic: “The virus changed the way we internet.”
This is also true for India. Urban lives are not falling apart because the internet is bringing families and friends closer. Many office systems are still working because internet has made it possible to video call coworkers and staff within a city or even within the country.
To help mitigate mobile and broadband network congestion, platforms like Netflix and Facebook are reducing video quality after COAI wrote to the government urging it to initiate measures to ease the burden on network infrastructure.
Some users experience low speeds. But this is going to be only temporary inconvenience.
Several hospitals across NCR have started offering consultations online. Gurgaon’s Paras hospital has been extending the service since March 22 through video sessions on their own app — Paras Health Mate. “We started our online consultation service soon after people were asked to maintain social distancing. There are video sessions between doctor and patient. We issue e-prescriptions, and payment needs to be done online before the consultation begins,” said Dr Sameer Kulkarni, facility director at the hospital.
The internet has also come to the rescue of fitness freaks who, after the closure of gyms and parks, have now turned to online workout videos to keep their bodies in top notch shape. Over the last one week, several home workout videos have garnered millions of views, and hashtags like #quarantineworkout #covidworkout #coronaworkout #athomeworkouts are trending on platforms like YouTube and Instagram.
The Internet’s role in offering entertainment is not new, and therefore the outpouring of posts seeking and offering recommendations on what to watch on streaming platforms like Netflix, AmazonPrime and Hotstar comes as no surprise. Online games, particularly Ludo, which one can play with their friends in any part of the country, has been keeping lakhs of people engaged since the lockdown.
According to data collated by various agencies and i-exchanges, internet has emerged as the biggest source for information and entertainment and also the medium to stay connected with extended family and the workplace.
Days into the 21-day lockdown, consumption through mobile phones shot up 30%, though this somewhat tempered down after content streaming companies were asked to downgrade their feed to standard definition (SD) from high definition (HD). Also, with shopping for electronics, clothes and other non-essential items coming to a standstill online, internet got a breather as surfing patterns changed.
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