Cinco’s 3 IT Tips on Surviving the 2020 Holidays

16 December 2020

Here are Cinco Amor’s 3 IT Tips for Surviving the Holidays!

As the UK (and the rest of the world) still struggles with Covid and the effects it has on social interaction, we have become more reliant than ever on technology and communication. We hope these tips can help you have a Happy Season 🙂

Tip 1. Go Online to Communicate with Family Members.

This generation has never needed technology more and we have become quite inventive with our ways of keeping in touch with our loved ones, when social distancing keeps us apart. Apps like HouseParty, Zoom and Skype have almost become part of our daily lives. Online quizzes, office meetings, birthday parties and even weddings have all taken place in front of a screen, thrusting us into a whole new realm of technology and communication. According to Apple and their yearly best app review, the most downloaded free app of 2020 on the Iphone and Ipad was the Zoom Cloud Meetings app.

The question is, will this be a new ‘normal’ moving forward, with more and more interactions taking place online instead of face to face as the world continues to heal from the effects of Covid? Christmas will now be different it seems, no office Christmas parties, drinks with friends, big family dinners. Christmas cheer and spirit, will be in the most part, spread via technology, through apps, calls, messages – probably for the first time in history.

This is huge! According to iNews, ‘More than 100 billion WhatsApp messages were sent on 31 December 2019, more than on any other day in the app’s 10-year history, the company has confirmed. Of these, over 12 billion were picture messages, while UK users fired off over 900 million messages in the 24 hours before midnight.’ (1)

What’s the likelihood that this will be even more this year – to mark the end of a very ‘interesting’ year indeed! That’s why it’s more important than ever to stay connected with your loved ones over the festive period.

Tip 2. Save on Tech and Electronic Gadgets

If you missed the chance to snag the electronic device you have been waiting for all year in the Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales, don’t panic. There may be hope for you in the after Christmas sales and the January lull…Jackpot!

Buying electronic gadgets are expensive and as newer versions are introduced more frequently than before, it may be better to buy one at the right time of year. That way you avoid paying the premium price.

One of the best times to take advantage according to the Moneysavingexpert.com is after Christmas and Mid-January, that is when you see a high boost in sales with discounts up to 70% off on some items. Companies such as Argos and Amazon had up to 50% off sales on the 25^th and the 26^th of December from 2016-2019.(2)

According to CBSNews if you can wait until the 27^th December, retailers are eager to clear out remaining inventory to make room for newer products.(3) They believe that this day is the best day for purchasing consumer electronics.

This time of the year is also the perfect time to shop around for an IT Service provider which is affordable and reliable to you and your business. Do not start the new year worrying about a service which is unreliable and does not function properly. You can save more if you seek out an IT Service provider during this time, before January hits and everyone gets back to business.

What all of this means is, if you have the patience to wait a few days after Christmas, that may be an ideal time to get a good deal.

Tip 3. Switch Off from Technology

Staying connected with friends and family over the festive period is important, however it is also important to remember to switch off and unwind (contradicting right? But also the truth!). 2020 has been a strange and tiring year and now is the perfect time to switch off the laptop, put down the phones and take some time out. Catch up on sleep, read that book, take some time to exercise or go for a walk.

The most important thing is to ensure you enjoy the festivities, as much as possible and however you can. We look forward to a prosperous 2021 and hoping a year with many more opportunities, growth and healing.

Happy Holidays from us at Cinco Amor Ltd!