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SOCIAL PULSE
Every week I keep tabs on what's trending, new technology and consumer habits that impact the social web. Here's what I'm tracking this week...
SocNet Updates: #StopHateForProfit continues to see brands pause social spend and organic posts on Facebook for July, both publicly and privately. Facebook is adding more color theme options for Groups, launched “Limited Data Use” to help companies in California abide by CCPA, and has launched a “Summer of Support” digital training program for SMBs. Instagram ads may now be created without needing a linked Facebook account and is rolling out its TikTok copycat product Reels to Germany and France. Twitter is loading lots more ads into your typical feed and has now released its new list search option to all users. Snap published more data on how its users are responding to COVID-19. Parler is emerging as a social media platform for the far right. TikTok launched a new portal called TikTok for Business.
Apple’s WWDC 2020 Recap: Apple gave a first look at iOS 14, the new update coming to iPhones later this year. The most notable changes include: widgets that you can place on the home screen, picture-in-picture, App Clips, and more. Read the full recap here and here’s WWDC 2020 in 18 minutes.
RIP Segway: Segway’s namesake self-balancing scooter, the Segway PT, will officially cease production next month. Only about 140,000 units total were ever sold in the almost 19 years they were available, but the brand name will live on with scooters, go-karts, throne-like pods, autonomous robots, and even a set of self-balancing rollerblades. And Paul Blart: Mall Cop, of course.
Apple Glasses Rumor Update: According to a story from Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Apple’s VR and AR initiatives have been hampered by internal differences, but 1,000 engineers have been working on both a VR headset and AR glasses. This report says the first headset may be announced next year and released in 2022, with AR-enabled Apple Glasses by 2023 at the earliest. For a look at what Apple Glasses may do for brands, check out some of Ikea’s experiments here.
App of the Week: Google launched a new Pinterest-style app called Keen, that features lots of copy-cat features of Pinterest, including recommendations using its deep web of algorithmic data on you. Try the web app here.
Podcast of the Week: The last episode of Rabbit Hole, Kevin Roose follows a woman who stumbled upon the “Q” community and found herself drawn in. It’s a look at what our exploding culture of influencers, TikTok stars and information disseminators holds for the future. Listen here.
Insta of the Week: @karensgoingwilds has moved from “Karen” memes to sharing videos of racial profiling and racist actions as filmed by the victims and sometimes the perpetrators themselves, and includes a “Busted” highlight of social media justice repercussions. Trigger warning: some of these are brutal.
#CampYouTube: With Google searches for “virtual summer camps” spiking over the past few weeks, YouTube has launched a virtual camp with themes, such as arts, adventure, sports, STEM, and more. Check out camp here.
TikTok Creators to Follow Who Use the Platform to Call Out Anti-Black Racism: singer-songwriter @kyla.imani is writing songs, @rynnstar is dropping civil rights history lessons, @mecca.morphosis advocates for self-care and kindness. Find more here.
Try to Stop Doomscrolling: The constant stream of news and social media never ends, and some of us are spending our nights refreshing our phones again and again, going down morbid rabbit holes and unable to fall asleep. It’s a phenomena dubbed “doomscrolling,” and it’s not healthy. Key quote: “Feeling informed can be a salve, but being overwhelmed by tragedy serves no purpose. The current year is nothing if not a marathon; trying to sprint to the end of one’s feed will only cause burnout and a decline in mental health among the people whose level-headedness is needed most. That means you, dear reader. Amidst all of the pain, isolation, and destruction of the past six months, it’s not worth it to add on to the strain with two hours of excess Twitter every night.”
Read and share this trend roundup (with pictures and video) online here!
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