Covid-19: Coronavirus’ boost to online consumption in Asia lifts more than entertainment

A woman wearing a protective mask uses her phone in a Light Rail Transit train, during MCO due to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease Covid-19 in Kuala Lumpur on May 1, 2020. Malaysia, where coronavirus was slightly slower to arrive, saw the news categories multiply their usage in March. Online earning and education categories grew by 53% to 132%, while health information was sought 23% more compared with February. — AP

LOS ANGELES: Consumers around Asia have been locked down, had their travel restricted and been forced to spend more time with their families. Their digital consumption has risen. But the changing patterns of online usage have lifted far more categories than entertainment.

A new research note from ComScore, published May 14, presents data from six territories in Asia-Pacific. It focuses only on the month of March, when the coronavirus was still a relatively new phenomenon and many government measures were being introduced for the first time.