Abstract
The chapter surveys four main media use trends that emerged during the pandemic: OTT growth, universal media reach, the explosion of gaming usage, and the wider adoption of audio-based media. The chapter suggests that new media use trends can offer a new look at traditional media terms such as audience reach, media events, and new forms of visual content creation. Has COVID-19 contributed to the creation of a new innovative language? What are the opportunities for content creators and marketers? This chapter explores these questions and provides insights about the future of digital media in a post-COVID world.
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Notes
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Pew Internet revised generation, from January 2019, defines Gen Z as those born after 1997. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/
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Based on percentage of Internet users 16–64 in select countries who report spending more time on the following.
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This chapter examined the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic – between March 2019 and July 2020.
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This is a continuation of the trend. In Q3 2018, time spent was 4.13 hours per day, based on US population.
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Stick OTT refers to streaming devices that are used to deliver video content. Examples include Chromecast, Amazon Fire, and Roku Stick.
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https://investor.fb.com/investor-news/press-release-details/2021/Facebook-Reports-Fourth-Quarter-and-Full-Year-2020-Results/default.aspx#:~:text=Facebook%20daily%20active%20users%20(DAUs,%25%20year%2Dover%2Dyear
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Source: Hootsuite Press report retrieved from: https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2021/01/27/2165130/0/en/New-report-finds-1-3-million-new-users-joined-social-media-every-day-during-2020-15-new-users-every-second.html
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Not including Chinese ByteDance users TikTok’s parent company (689 million). Together, TikTok and Douyin (ByteDance) have 1.29 billion active users worldwide.
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In 2014, Twitch was purchased by Amazon for $970 million dollars.
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Reddit talk and Twitter Spaces were introduced earlier.
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YouGov “International Media Consumption report, 2021” Retrieved from https://yougov.co.uk/topics/media/articles-reports/2021/02/16/global-media-2021
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The baked feta pasta phenomenon came stateside once MacKenzie Smith, the blogger behind Grilled Cheese Social, posted a video to her TikTok of yet another rendition at the end of January (though she posted it to her blog in June 2019). Smith’s single video has gained nearly three million views, with the #bakedfetapasta collectively amassing 52 million views and counting on TikTok.
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Einav, G. (2022). Media Reimagined: The Impact of COVID-19 on Digital Media Transformation. In: Einav, G. (eds) Transitioning Media in a Post COVID World. The Economics of Information, Communication, and Entertainment. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95330-0_2
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