Were forums more active during the pandemic?

[Bryn]

When the Covid-19 pandemic first struck four years ago, everyone stayed at home and spent more time online, and I wonder if this included forums in general, even this one. I wouldn't really know myself because I kept away from forums for personal reasons (and I actually kept away from them months before the pandemic), so I'm just curious in general. Not sure if the "Most Users Online" record had ever broke in any forums for that reason...

Discuss.

 

[Krissycakes09]

I think they were.

 

[Ravenfreak]

I feel like they were, but I wasn't around too many at the time. I wasn't here, I didn't return to FP until either 2021 or 2022. I was playing a lot of video games then though too, so I wasn't online much.

 

[Katrina]

They were busy only at the beginning, if I remember correctly.

 

[Bryn]

They were busy only at the beginning, if I remember correctly.

Yeah, I was just thinking that... at the height of the public health scare (perhaps between March - June 2020?).

 

[Yoda]

I think at the start they were busy because everyone was stuck at home and bored out their mind but as access to shops and the outdoors was granted I imagine it tailored off a bit.

 

[Cam]

I'd say it depends on the forum. The forums that are in a niche that was impacted by COVID probably weren't more active. Let's take any sports forum for example. The sports world was put on hold for quite a while, so there wasn't a lot to talk about then. For other forums (like this one), I'd definitely say we had a spike in activity in 2020.

 

[Bryn]

Let's take any sports forum for example. The sports world was put on hold for quite a while, so there wasn't a lot to talk about then.

Oh, I never thought of that...

I would think that entertainment-based forums would've suffered a slump in activity too, what with TV shows and films delayed for the same reasons also.

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I really didn't notice a forum uptick.

But then again, I got out and hiked and bike outside every chance I got. I wasn't staying inside with germs. I lost a lot of weight during those months!

I probably missed out on major forum traffic but I think that was still around the time when I was taking a break from forums.

 

[Bryn]

but I think that was still around the time when I was taking a break from forums.

Good to see that it wasn't just me that was absent from the forum scene during that time (and I know @Cedric was as well).

Only that I went through a much longer absence than others, and with that combined with personal reasons/commitments as well. I'll tell you what though, I wouldn't have liked to be on forums during the height of the public health emergency... and I think others felt the same.

 

[Nebulous]

I wasn't on forums during the pandemic. My return to forums was in June of 2022 (after taking 6 years off). During the pandemic I was more into TV and video games in my free time. I suppose 2022 was still pandemic times but it was slowly going away.

 

[Bryn]

I suppose 2022 was still pandemic times but it was slowly going away.

Yes they were, but most countries (besides North Korea and China) were coming out from restrictions... but even then there was still talk about it. I still kept off during that time just to save my sanity...

 

[XtyneHappy]

That was because most people were readily available at home during the pandemic because of the lock downs and something

 

[Shawn Gossman]

Good to see that it wasn't just me that was absent from the forum scene during that time (and I know @Cedric was as well).

Only that I went through a much longer absence than others, and with that combined with personal reasons/commitments as well. I'll tell you what though, I wouldn't have liked to be on forums during the height of the public health emergency... and I think others felt the same.

Yeah. I saw how Facebook was. A lot of misinformation and pure hate on each other. I could imagine the same happened on forums.

I kept myself outside. I got hate for it, too. Stay home Shawn, Stay home...

Made me want to get out even more, which I did. I just stayed away from everyone.

 

[Bryn]

A lot of misinformation and pure hate on each other. I could imagine the same happened on forums.

Twitter also, when that wasn't rife with conspiracy theories already... even before Elon Musk got his grubby hands on it 🙄

 

[Shortie_]

I wasn't on forums much during the pandemic as I had taken a different path and was instead creating video game content but from what I am hearing, it seems they were more active during the pandemic which would make sense due to the lockdowns.

 

[Bryn]

Looks like many people were absent during the pandemic... and I don't blame them.

I wouldn't like to be active in any of them during that space of time myself, let alone run one either.

 

[Page]

Yes and no, not all people became active other than became active on Facebook 😛 I was very active till 2024 then I started to do things differently, I have no idea... MAybe just not as interested anymore

 

[The Cat Lady]

I would say "yes".

If people weren't able to leave their house (this is the beginning of the pandemic), then that was probably one way for people to still interact with other people.