With more and more people turning to social platforms to stay connected amid the COVID-19 lockdowns, it likely comes as little surprise to see that Facebook reached record highs for both audio and video calls on both WhatsApp and Messenger this past New Year’s Eve.  

But the numbers do highlight an important trend – as more people become increasingly accustomed to staying in touch via these options, that makes them more accepted, normalizing video connection in ways that could have major impacts on the future of work.

Already, experts are predicting that many businesses will be looking to increasingly shift to WFH models even in the wake of the pandemic, which will not only see organizations reduce their operating costs, but could also increase productivity, improve quality of life for employees, and stimulate regional economies. 

So while stats like these from Facebook underline the trends of 2020, and are largely necessitated by measures to combat COVID-19, they could also point to the broader shift in how we communicate. That puts more emphasis on video connection and messaging, and underlines the need for all brands to understand how people are staying connected, and what that might mean for future connection.

Check out Facebook’s full NYE stats below.