That's so meta
Some of the bragging and promotion on LinkedIn has turned off some younger job hunters, who are choosing to parody the platform. This post by Shiv Sharma received more than 5,000 likes, as reported by Bloomberg. In it, Sharma lists himself as the assistant chef of a fictional restaurant from the animated show Sponge Bob Square Pants. Want to keep the laughs coming? Check out this Twitter parody account.
Here are today's top stories:
What's on the horizon for social media
"Facebook Reels" keeps on rolling
Wanted: Female Wikipedia editors
And Gen Z is all about the aesthetic
Read on ⬇️
What's on the Horizon
The days of staring at yourself in Zoom meetings may soon be coming to an end. Instead, the future of online meetings could mean that your avatar meets with other avatars in a virtual reality meeting room — at least if Facebook gets its way. The social media giant took a giant step towards its "metaverse" goals by launching an open beta of its virtual-reality remote work app, Horizon Workrooms. Here's what you need to know.
About Workrooms
A "mixed reality experience." That's how Facebook describes the free workspace. And all you need is a $300 pair of Oculus Quest 2 headsets to access it. Meant to blend the virtual and the physical, you can bring your physical desk into the VR space, as well as a compatible tracked keyboard. Features include a free virtual whiteboard for that big brainstorming sesh. You can also take notes, share your screen, and bring your files into VR. Don't have a headset? You can also dial in to a room from your computer by video call, but you'll appear as a square instead of an avatar.
What's this have to do with social media?
Ok, social media friends, you might be wondering why I'm even bringing this up. Well, when the CEO of the world's largest social media platform (at least for now) says it's becoming a "metaverse company," it's worth taking note. In an interview with The Verge, Mark Zuckerberg said that Facebook's goal is to bring the "metaverse to life." The metaverse is a term coined in Neal Stephenson's 1992 sci-fi novel "Snow Crash" and refers to a universe you can step inside of. The New York Times recently explored this new concept, and suggests that video games, such as Fortnite, as well as social media, already have metaverse tendencies.
Just the beginning
In a 2020 article by TechCrunch, the author was already starting to envision this new future, predicting that: "In the decade ahead, people will come to socialize as much in virtual worlds that evolved from games as they will on platforms like Instagram, Twitter and TikTok." Welcome to the future.
KEEP READING
Facebook Wants Us to Live in the Metaverse — The New Yorker
The Metaverse: What Is It, Where to Find It, Who Will Build It, and Fortnite — Venture Capitalist Matthew Ball
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SOCIAL SNACKS
"Facebook Reels" Rolls Out in U.S.
"Facebook Reels" will soon be available to U.S. users, following tests in India, Mexico and Canada. According to TechCrunch, this TikTok-like feature (originally launched on FB-owned Instagram in August 2020) "will give Facebook users the ability to create and share short-form video content directly within the News Feed or within Facebook Groups." FB told TechCrunch that most of the features in Instagram Reels will also be available in Facebook Reels, other than Remix (aka, TikTok's Duet feature).
Watch for these Twitter DM Updates 👀
Here are some of the DM improvements coming to iOS and web (and soon Android):
You will be able to share a tweet in up to 20 different Twitter DM conversations, separately
There will be a new quick-scroll button that lets you jump to the latest message
To add a reaction, you can now do a "long press", which brings up "Add Reaction" in the menu (you can also just double tap)
Messages will be grouped by date
ICYMI
🔴 Twitter tests feature that allows users to report misleading tweets [@TwitterSafety]
🔴 Instagram CEO provides tips on how to keep your account safe [@Mosseri]
🔴 YouTube announces the next phase for search [YouTube Blog]
🔴 Pinterest launches first-of-its-kind hair pattern search for inclusive beauty results [Pinterest Blog]
🔴 TikTok Radio launches on SiriusXM [TikTok Blog]
🔴 OnlyFans creators react to sexually explicit content ban [CNN]
Wanted: Female Wikipedia Editors
A new study suggests that women's profile pages on Wikipedia only make up 19% of all profiles, but are nominated for deletion at a rate of 25%. One of the most high-profile deletions belonged to Canadian scientist Donna Strickland, who won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physics (she now has a page). Why is this happening? The study cites gender bias, issues with notability, and the fact that most Wikipedia editors are male.
TREND-LIKE
Cottagecore is hardcore
YouTube isn't the first to point out emerging aesthetics like "cottagecore" (defined by YT as a "folksy, simple way of life"). But when it kept popping up on channels, the platform decided to investigate. What it found was that Gen Z is exploring identity in a deeper way than any previous generation.
In its report — The rise of aesthetics — YouTube looked at popular aesthetics, like royaltycore, dark academia, bardcore, Y2K, dreamcore and weirdcore. "Each aesthetic has its own style of music, fashion, design and a core identity, with creators sharing playlists and guides for each one."
Here are some of the other findings in the YT report:
Today's aesthetics are similar to previous teenage stereotypes, such as preps and jocks, "but in a more niche way"
Cottagecore is part of a wider aesthetic that gained in popularity during the pandemic
YouTube creators are detailing how to bring any aesthetic into all aspects of your life, from books and music to outfits and beauty routines
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