There is war in Ukraine and therefore an absolute state of emergency. I think that needs no further explanation. Such a situation can not only suddenly change people’s lives, but of course, also influences the use of digital services. The example of some Google products these days shows how usage is suddenly changing and the relevance is shifting from one product to another.
Google has been very transparent for many years and actually maintains a platform on which the traffic of Google services can be read in relation to each other. Because the lives of people in Ukraine suddenly changed three days ago, this of course also changed their usage behavior of Google services. They certainly have different concerns than Google products, but these can not only be used for fun or work, in the case of Google Maps and some others, they can also convey vital information.
Just take a look at the following graphics, which show the biggest changes: Google Docs and Google Sheets as office products have lost massive amounts of traffic. Google Maps, on the other hand, has massively increased its traffic. Because the numbers are normalized, they cannot be compared in absolute numbers. Google Groups, which is often forgotten in this country, grew even more. A platform for exchanging information. A forum, if you will, with a mix of Reddit and Facebook groups.
It remains to be hoped that the Ukrainians will be able to remain steadfast against the invasion and that there will be no further escalation despite all the kindling. I don’t want to have to write more articles like this.
Google Maps
Google Groups
Google Docs
Google Sheets
