BERLIN, May 27 (Xinhua) -- The usage of social media platforms by German citizens has increased strongly due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey published by the German digital association Bitkom on Wednesday.
"In times of widespread contact restrictions, social media help people stay in touch with friends and family, follow public events and find entertainment and distraction," said Bernhard Rohleder, chief executive officer (CEO) of Bitkom, adding that "social distancing becomes more bearable with social media."
Since the outbreak of the coronavirus in Germany, 75 percent of Germans used platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Xing and Twitter "more intensively."
Almost two-thirds of German citizens used social networks for news, according to the survey conducted on around 1,000 German citizens above the age of 16 in April.
The use of messenger services also increased in recent weeks since the outbreak of the pandemic. Some two-thirds of Germans wrote messages more frequently while almost every second person also increasingly conducted video calls via services such as Whatsapp, Threema and Telegram.
Earlier this month, a survey published by Verivox showed that the coronavirus lockdown in Germany had boosted digitalization, particularly among younger Germans.
The survey found that 40 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds in Germany used video phone calls for the very first time during the coronavirus crisis, while 20 percent had never used a webcam before.
"The use of digital services in Germany is expandable in all age groups," said Eugen Ensinger, Verivox telecommunications expert. "This is particularly surprising among the younger generation, who are said to be living a completely digitalized everyday life." Enditem
