Most schools are closed, and the coronavirus is raging. The pandemic socially affects students by separating them from their friends and confiscating their social life. However, that doesn’t mean that kids aren’t communicating with each other. They have discovered a new, quicker, and easier way to socially engage with other kids: Social Media and Video Call apps.

“For me, it was pretty easy to make the adjustment. I’d just enter my friend’s phone number in my contacts on my phone, and then I can text, call, or FaceTime them. However, I find group chats and TikTok most effective because you can talk and share photos and videos with a group of people,” said 8th Grader Josie Whitaker.

However, the lucky children that attend private schools get to attend in-person school in smaller groups during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I have not used electronics very much during this school year because I go to a private school, which is in person,” said  7th Grader Ciara F., who attends a private school. “I get to communicate with my friends that are in my classes just like a normal school year. Outside of school, I use texting and SnapChat to communicate with friends, and I participate in two group chats: one is my softball team and the other is my Science Olympiad team.”

Ciara also uses FaceTime with friends at school for group projects. Her parents are strict with social media use and don’t allow her to use TikTok, Instagram, or other social media platforms.  Still, she doesn’t feel particularly lucky because she only has a couple of friends in class.

An increase in virtual communication also means that technology companies are thriving with increased sales of smartphones, tablets, and other communication devices. Macworld, a technology newspaper, reports that Apple has sold more iPhones in the COVID-19 pandemic than ever.

“The research indicates that Apple sold 15 million iPhones to customers in the US in the second quarter from April to June 2020 – that’s more than ever before. This corresponds to an increase of ten percent compared to the second quarter of 2019,” Macworld reported.

In conclusion, social media and electronics companies are flourishing during the Coronavirus pandemic due to virtual school, people not wanting to go into stores, and people wanting to communicate with others digitally.