A tale of two countries: a longitudinal cross-country study of mobile users' reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of app popularity
Authors: 
Liu Wang, Haoyu Wang, Yi Wang, Gareth Tyson, Fei LyuAuthors Info & Claims
Liu Wang, Haoyu Wang, Yi Wang, Gareth Tyson, Fei LyuAuthors Info & ClaimsPages 62 - 72
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted people's lives around the world, including how they interact with mobile technologies. In this paper, we seek to develop an understanding of how the dynamic trajectory of a pandemic shapes mobile phone users' experiences. Through the lens of app popularity, we approach this goal from a cross-country perspective. We compile a dataset consisting of six-month daily snapshots of the most popular apps in the iOS App Store in China and the US, where the pandemic has exhibited distinct trajectories. Using this longitudinal dataset, our analysis provides detailed patterns of app ranking during the pandemic at both category and individual app levels. We reveal that app categories' rankings are correlated with the pandemic, contingent upon country-specific development trajectories. Our work offers rich insights into how the COVID-19, a typical global public health crisis, has influence people's day-to-day interaction with the Internet and mobile technologies.
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Index Terms
- A tale of two countries: a longitudinal cross-country study of mobile users' reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of app popularity
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Published In
May 2022
154 pages
ISBN:9781450393010
DOI:10.1145/3524613
- General Chair:
- Leonardo Mariani,
- Program Chairs:
- Gemma Catolino,
- Mei Nagappan
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Published: 17 October 2022
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