Mobile-only streaming platform Quibi launches in lockdown
After sinking $1.8 billion into star power and content production, Quibi execs have decided to launch the mobile-centric service in lockdown. Businesses all across the globe are trying to keep their heads above water in this time of global crisis, but a select few are flourishing under the circumstances. With a large...
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WhatsApp combat the spread of COVID-19 misinformation
WhatsApp is looking to stem the ‘dissemination of fake news’ by imposing limits on forwarded messages. WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging platforms in the world, with upwards of 1.5 billion recorded users across its chat and video call features. A large part of the appeal comes from WhatsApp’s...
YouTube to rival TikTok with short-bite feature ‘Shorts’?
YouTube is looking to ride the coattails of TikTok’s recent success by launching its own video-bite feature in 2020. It’s fair to say YouTube is getting a little greedy taking names in 2020. Despite sitting atop the podium of biggest video platforms (and second in the most visited site), pipping Twitch to...
The unstoppable rise of video calling apps in COVID-19 lockdown
Video calling platforms have gone from professional obligation to recreational pastime during the Covid-19 lockdown. Trying to muster positives in a time of global crisis is like searching for a needle in a haystack. Businesses are going belly up every day that the lockdown persists, with most global stock markets down...
Instagram is bringing ‘Selfie Stickers’ to Stories
If your Instagram stories weren’t zhushy enough already, the social meccas are now testing a feature dubbed Selfie Stickers. With social media platforms reporting peaks in user engagement throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, now seems the perfect time to introduce and test new features. Instagram are doing just that. Over 500 million users were already viewing...
How do TikTok creators make money?
Everyone knows that Instagram influencers earn a ton of money through sponsorships and agencies, and it seems TikTok is following along a similar path. Making original, funny content and getting paid to do so is probably the dream job for anyone under the age of 25. Ever since YouTube became an...
Facebook ramps up moderation team amidst Covid-19 mental health crisis
Facebook is gearing up for an increase in anxious and depressed users, as the world is forced to hunker down into self-isolation. This week has certainly been an unusual one, to say the very least. As most of Europe and the US begin working from home on mass due to the Coronavirus pandemic, big social media platforms including Facebook are preparing themselves for an increase in traffic and anxious users. The...
The top five social media trends of 2020
As we move into a crucial decade for social responsibility, it’s likely that we’ll see more online branding emphasise green initiatives and sustainable business practices. Likes and follower counts are set to become less important too. It’s no secret that social media usage changes year to year. As new trends develop and our political landscapes shift, so too do the ways in which we use sites such as Facebook,...
How TikTok finally broke the mainstream
No longer just the cringy content hub for lip syncing videos, TikTok has finally been embraced by celebrities, YouTubers, and the masses alike, but how did we get here? As a twenty-something who grew up with Snapchat, Instagram, and the trash heap that is the Facebook news feed, I was admittedly slow to catch onto the hype that surrounds TikTok. At first it seemed like a platform dedicated solely to the...
Popular Gen Z shopping app Dote ghosts brands, influencers, and users
Dote, a shopping app once praised for being ‘Gen Z’s dream mall,’ is ghosting its brands, influencers, and users as it quietly tries to fall off the radar. Remember last year’s Dote scandal when the app was seriously criticised for discriminating against people of colour both on social media and at organised events? Somehow – after a great deal of damage control – the Gen Z-targeted shopping app managed to...
