The last weeks of 2021 provided a perspective on the world around us and the investment opportunity for the future. As the year has been full of change driven by disruptive external events, the videos viewed on YouTube by 2 billion people in more than 100 countries reflect that reality.

1. Video games

For a couple of years now, audiences have been looking for immersion in stories through video games. Video games used to be a subculture that few people were interested in, but with around 2.9 billion videogamers by 2021, they are now clearly part of popular culture. The industry is worth $175 billion and women represent about 46% of gamers. The most watched game on YouTube is Minecraft, which featured prominently in the most popular videos with over 100 million views.

But that’s not all, gamers around the world have taken their hobby to the next level; e-sports, which take the form of organized multiplayer video game competitions.

2. Virtual meetings

While most people long to get back to their normal selves and meet again in person, virtual social experiences have become especially important in recent years. Such options have brought us closer together during the pandemic and continue to play a pivotal role in the quest to connect people.

Cloud-based video conferencing is a frequent search on YouTube and replicates the benefits of face-to-face communication, but with the security of being at home. In general, companies using cloud-based services experience higher productivity.

3. Healthy living

Year after year people set new life goals, such as going to the gym, eating a healthier diet or losing weight; however, the generation of habits oriented to the possibility of a better quality of life, have marked a search trend during 2021. Many people, faced with this new reality, are in search of their physical and mental wellbeing.

4. Sustainability

More than 80% of consumers say that they are more aware of environmental awareness and sustainability now than before the pandemic. By demonstrating their importance to people’s lives and the planet as a whole, companies can help people buy with more confidence that their consumption will not impact the environment. This category also includes renewable energies, and consumption alternatives such as electric vehicles, energy saving, installation of solar panels, among others, that users place in their Youtube searches.

5. New normality

After the upheavals that the pandemic has caused on human beings, new consumption habits have been adopted and have resorted to powerful tools such as e-commerce, in addition to an increase in digitalization and travel technology, for example. This has also been reflected by users in their internet searches.

At BBVA we have our own Youtube channel, a space where you can find detailed information about the trends mentioned here, among many others. If you want to learn more about our investment ideas and megatrends visit us at https://www.youtube.com/c/BBVAinSwitzerland  To receive updated notifications about new videos, please subscribe!