This archive report was first published on 19 May 2020.
With millions of people stuck at home, YouTube has seen a remarkable increase in the number of people watching instructional videos to acquire new skills. According to the platform, videos with titles like 'how to' and 'step-by-step' are being viewed for 65% longer than this time last year.
As people turn to the internet for guidance, online shoppers are also on the hunt for essential items such as garden plants, lawn mowers, free weights, and hair dye. But it's not just practical skills that are in demand – people are also searching for information on how to make hand sanitiser, face masks, and bread, as well as how to cut their hair.
SEO expert Nalina Eggert, who works with the BBC, has seen a notable rise in questions about grammar, punctuation, fractions, human biology, and history since the closure of UK schools. She has also noticed a significant increase in medical queries surrounding Covid-19, including whether the virus can be caught twice and whether it affects pets.
But it's not all serious – Nalina has also observed a surge in searches for sympathy cards, with people looking to buy them but struggling to come up with the right words to write inside. And on a lighter note, every Friday sees a regular search for 'what time can you buy alcohol in Scotland' – a question that's become a weekly ritual for many.
