**How Americans Are Using Internet Platforms For Good During COVID-19**
Etsy Community Helps Meet Demand For Face Masks. Etsy is helping its community of creators meet the demand by encouraging sellers to make and sell masks if they have the skills and materials. In a blog, Etsy CEO Josh Silverman highlights that between April 4-6, there were two million searches for face masks and the number of face mask sellers increased five times to 20,000 over the past two weeks. Silverman wrote: “We believe that the Etsy community is uniquely positioned to address this crucial need during a global health crisis. We hope that increasing the availability of fabric, non-medical grade face masks from Etsy sellers will allow more medical and surgical masks to reach the people who need them most: front-line healthcare workers.”
Online Creators Help Raise Funds For COVID Relief Efforts. Newsweek’s “Heroes of the Pandemic” series featured a story about YouTube and Twitch creators who are leveraging their unique reach to audiences at home to help raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts. The report profiles Sean “Jacksepticeye” McLoughlin, a gaming YouTuber with over 23 million subscribers on the platform, who raised $650,000 for the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund in a single day, as well as popular DIY channel Evan and Katelyn who ran charity streams on their Twitch to raise over $12,000 for the United Way.
John Krasinski To Host Virtual Prom For “Some Good News.” As John Krasinski’s weekly YouTube videos bring smiles to millions of viewers and free cellphone service for healthcare workers, he’s upping the ante this Friday by DJing a virtual prom on the streaming platform. Special guests are expected to join as an opportunity for students across the country to still celebrate their proms despite country-wide cancellations.
Staying Busy With Viral Challenges. Most everyone has seen, if not outright been tagged, in an Instagram push up challenge or TikTok dance challenge. The New York Times explores how these viral social media challenges flourish as people try “all sorts of extreme ways of connecting.” Even celebrities got in on the action, with Tim McGraw starting the #DeepCutsChallenge to have followers play their favorite songs on guitar. “Instagram usage has risen a lot in the past couple weeks and these challenges are a way for people to interact with their friends and stay entertained while they have to stay home,” said Taylor Loren of Instagram.
YouTube Eating Competition Will Raise Funds For Feeding America. Major League Eating is using its YouTube channel to help raise money for Feeding America’s COVID-19 relief fund through a bracket-style elimination tournament. Among the contestants are Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo, the top-ranked men’s and women’s eaters in the world. MLE and event sponsor BetOnline will also donate $10,000 to Feeding America.