My kid and his friends use FaceTime instead of calling and will often be on it for hours while gaming. It’s much easier than a call for 3+ people. We are in the US but I imagine they use whatsapp or whatever the same way other places.
I work for a smaller org (less than 50 ppl) and we are generally required to have cameras on in meetings.
8GB is definitely not enough for coding, gaming, or most creative work but it’s fine for basic office/school work or entertainment. Heck my M1 Macbook Air is even good with basic Photoshop/Illustrator work and light AV editing. I certainly prefer my PC laptop with 32GB and a dedicated GPU but its power adapter weighs more than a Macbook Air.