News and updates from social, culture and tech.
This week, we’re keeping tabs on the tension building between TikTok and the FCC, getting comfortable with Gen Z’s favorite new social app, and feeling nostalgic (and perhaps a little personally attacked) by the “Little Miss” trend dominating social feeds.
Updates Ahead: A Look Into Platform Updates and News
TikTok’s in Trouble with the FCC
According to the FCC, TikTok is an “unacceptable security risk” and should be removed from Apple and Google app stores for its elusive data collection processes. The rising tension surrounding the issue serves as a good reminder for brands to diversify where they grow and engage their communities on social media.
The app is branching out past smartphones and bringing it's private messaging/calling features to your web browser. The move puts them in a position to compete with the likes of Discord and What’s App. The feature will initially only be available to Snapchat Plus subscribers and will also only be compatible with Google’s Chrome, not Apple’s Safari.
Instagram Shopping is Going Down in the DMs
Shoppers will soon be able to ask questions, track orders, and pay for products directly in messages. The move further proves Instagram wants to be the dominant shopping destination app in the social media space.
Instagram’s Adding a Subscription Service
The platform is aiming to be “the best place online for creators to make a living”. Creators will now be able to post to their feed and make it only visible to subscribers. This poses an interesting question, are there any Instagram accounts you would pay to subscribe to?
Other News Worth Mentioning
It’s Time to Pay Attention to Gen Z’s New Favorite Platform — BeReal
BeReal, a new photo-sharing app, encourages users to “show friends who you really are, for once”. Users have only two minutes to post a photo once the app sends a notification at a random time of the day. Unlike other photo-sharing apps, the photo is taken through both the front and back camera, removing opportunities for users to stage, filter, overthink or edit photos.
With a 315% increase in app downloads since January, you can expect to see references to BeReal and its front/back camera photo format across other major social channels. More importantly, the app’s popularity is another strong signal that younger audiences are craving more organic, unfiltered interactions online.
Social Media Impulse Buys Are Breaking Consumers' Spirits
A recent survey found that 64% of users regret purchasing a product from an advertisement served to them on social media. People are not only seeing a negative effect on their finances, but they’re also not making them happy in the process.
