From Johannesburg to George, South Africans are sharing the view from their windows on a Facebook group connecting the world during lockdowns.

The group, View from my Window, has more than 740,000 members and hundreds of photographs from around the world are shared daily.

"This group has been created to connect people from all around the world during these tough times when #stayhome: coronavirus lockdown obliges us to stay home. Every day, through our windows, we have the same view. Take a photo. Only one. Let's share it. Our idea is for you to share the atmosphere of your daily life from behind your window," states the group's description.

Some members said the photographs allow them to travel without leaving their homes. while others said it gives them a sense of comfort to know "we're all in this together".

Johannesburg-based clinical clinical psychologist Bradley R Daniels told TimesLIVE the group is a form of social support.

"At this point in time, the big intervention we have around the world is social distancing. Social distancing is physical distancing. In fact, what the world needs more of is social connectivity and social connections. This Facebook page does exactly that. It gives people a sense of social connectivity, a sense of shared common purpose and shared lived experience," he said.

He said the group connects people "at a very difficult time with some similarity and humanity around the world".

"A lot of people are finding themselves under lockdown in different forms and shapes around the world. The common thing is that we're all having to cope and make sense of having our freedom limited. That's going to the same everywhere in the world, whether the shutdown is officially sanctioned by the state or recommended by the state," Daniels said.

"I find some of the pictures are connecting people to their own humanity and the shared experience among all of us. I looked at some pictures on just the top of the page and they range from people in Canada showing what it looks like from their window to somebody in New York showing the room from their hospital window. Those things help us connect to some from of humanity."