Since this week, total output is in Wuhan, lock. The residents at the epicenter of the Coronavirus may only purchase all three days outside to eat. Residential complex, in which infections have been detected, are now sealed off completely. Cynical Chinese call it "the frog in the cold water boil": a gradual tightening of the measures should not lead to surprise people from one day to the other but to get used to you slowly in a dangerous situation. Even in the distant Beijing it's currently just in front of the door to get to the bare minimum.

For millions of people, this is a psychological extreme situation. It is amazing how calmly the majority of the Chinese handle it. It also has to do with the good digital connectivity in the country. The people spent even before the collective quarantine a lot more time in virtual worlds than the Europeans. Nowhere else that you can do so many things online, or cheap and straightforward Goods, and ordering food in China. The entertainment in the Chinese-speaking Internet is huge, one of a myriad of Video and Gaming platforms to the multifunctional Messenger Apps such as WeChat. The everyday life has now shifted almost completely to the grid, a world that many Chinese have long been familiar. This reduces the feeling of being locked up.

The already biggest Streaming market in the world is booming now

Live Streaming experienced a veritable Boom. China was already ahead of the Virus crisis, the largest Live-Streaming market in the world. Around 900 platforms ten million active users, including countless Influencers, by channels rich or at least famous, for example, the petite Hu Tongtong, the filming when you Eat huge meals, or the charismatic Li Jiaqi, the one with his lipstick cavort Tests regularly breaks sales records on the Chinese E-Commerce platform Taobao. To experience these Stars live, you must not be in front of the door.

Live Streaming is not only at the time of the Virus is a lucrative business: 4.4 billion US dollars in sales achieved by the industry in 2018, has, of all things, of accountants Deloitte. Often the Top be taken-Streamer by large companies under contract. Fans can make you but also virtual gifts of Money, almost all platforms offer a digital wallet is connected to a reward function. A digital-to-drink money, so to speak. All of the major Chinese companies sell their products today via Live Streaming. As the modern Version of the classic Shopping-TV-channels you speak to especially young people. Customer loyalty and confidence in the products and services will be strengthened by the direct perceived communication, while the well-known faces of the Influencers to create demand where none was.

concerts, education and Fitness in the Stream

The Virus has now ensured that the spectrum in the Live-Streaming is expanding further and further: fitness studios to offer more Online courses, concert halls will host "Cloud festival", where you transfer performances of musicians directly from the living room. Also Tele-education is currently experiencing a Boom, because throughout the country the schools are closed. Meanwhile, there is a "national Cloud-learning platform", which transfers units of instruction. In order to guarantee a flawless Transfer of Beijing and committed to the three largest telecommunications provider, China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom to cooperate. Even Tech giants such as Huawei, Baidu and Alibaba support the platform with bandwidth and 7000 Extra servers.

Also, the home office, one in China so far little-discussed working model, experienced by the collective quarantine an unexpected boost. The provider of smart work Apps, which can be used to prevent, for example, online video conferencing can benefit especially. So thing talk, an application of Alibaba in the Chinese App Stores shot, within the shortest possible time from 37th place to place. Also other Apps for the company communication, like Tencents WeChat Work are currently more in demand than ever. Many workers complain even more workload, as the boundaries between work and leisure, without clear rules is increasingly blurred. Some companies require their employees apparently regularly streamed Selfie Videos from the home office-the workplace, so no one blue power. According to the Motto: trust is good, control is better. All the same, Instead of making for the office deal you can get for the video conference with the Apps just a Beauty Filter over your face.

All of this would not be possible without a fast Internet connection and the openness of the Chinese towards new technology. Even an epidemic can cripple the ability to adapt and the experimentation of Chinese. On the contrary, they make a virtue out of necessity.

contribution to the cohesion of the people

Also, the government has recognized the potential of Live-Streaming, and uses it intensively, for example, by transmitting a conference of the health Commission or the construction of the Emergency hospital in Wuhan. At peak times of use on the site, of over 60 million people viewed at the same time. Many certainly have a look out of boredom, as the were finished, screwed the pieces together. And yet this, too, has contributed to the cohesion of the people. All of this helps to keep the people at the rod and to minimize the feeling of loss of Control. Through the immediacy of Live Streaming, people don't feel reminded that they are not alone in this psychological extreme situation. Shared misery is half misery, especially if it is streamed millions of times.

this may be How important and emotional this exchange, showed up at a recent online held product launch, the Chinese Smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi. Before the has passed from of the of the Virus in the most affected Region of Hubei-born company founder, Lei Jun to the agenda, he turned to the spectators: "Wuhan is a city of heroes. The people there are courageous, self-confident and optimistic. Our lives may not be affected by the epidemic, we will defeat you," said Lei, with a Mouth-guard and tears in the eyes. This is not just Propaganda, as some in the West, rashly suspect. For the trapped people, this is an important message from one of them. At the end of it. the images, texts and experiences of the virtual cohesion that will remain in addition to the suffering of many and the demands in China from the Virus-epidemic in the collective memory

Our columnist Frank Sieren has lived for over twenty years in Beijing.

author: Frank Sieren

*The post "millions of Chinese under quarantine arising from the Emergency of new business models" is published by Deutsche Welle. Contact with the executives here.

Deutsche Welle Date Of Update: 21 February 2020, 18:00