Facebook is arguably the most influential company in all of social media - they own Instagram, Whatsapp, and of course the traditional Facebook and Facebook Messenger apps.
Every year, Facebook holds a big developer conference called F8 where they announce new plans and features - this year's conference was being held this week, tuesday and wednesday, in San Jose, California.
If one company controls so many social media platforms that billions of people use everyday, it's safe to say that the changes will impact our lives quite a bit, and that they will give us an insight into the social media trends of the rest of the year.
#1 Center of Attention: The Camera
Taking photos and videos on your phone and sharing them is already the biggest trend of the last decade - but it doesn't slow down, it continues to grow! Visual content is much more popular than text-based content, which is already shown by the huge success of photo- and video-based apps like Instagram and Snapchat.
But Facebook plans to take the camera one step further, and add more filters and augmented reality features to it.
The latest version of the Facebook App has already implemented Snapchat-Like Filters like masks and visual effects that you can add to your pictures and videos!
#2 Social Hangouts in Virtual Reality
Facebook also owns Oculus Rift, one of the world's biggest VR companies, and now they've come up with a new App for Oculus Rift, called Facebook Spaces.
It lets you create a virtual character, customize it with your own content and pictures from your facebook profile, and then hang out with your friends' characters in a virtual reality surrounding.
Sounds pretty vague? Yes it is - I'm not sure yet what exactly you'll do once you're in that VR world, but it seems like an innovate idea and we'll see how its potential will be used.
#3 Augmented Reality
"Pokemon Go" paved the way to a huge trend of augmented reality - a mixture between virtual elements and real-world surroundings.
Facebook plans to use AR in many different ways. Mark Zuckerberg said “This is going to be a thing in the future—people standing around looking at blank walls.” - as you leave virtual notes on the kitchen table or other virtual elements which can only be seen if you look at them through your camera.
#4 Improved Messenger Features
Who really still uses Facebook Messenger nowadays? I guess that's the same question that Facebook has come to ask themselves.
Whatsapp is still the world's most popular messaging app, and after iMessage have added tons of new features with their own specific iMessage apps, Facebook Messenger will get a lot more versatile now as well.
Facebook Messenger can now be synced with Spotify and soon with Apple Music, and in-app games will soon be added too.
#5 Offline-Modus for Instagram
80% of Instagram users are outside of the US, and not everyone has access to a highspeed internet connection on the go. That's why instagram is now introducing an offline mode (but only available on Android for now), giving users the opportunity to scroll through their feed that's been loaded previously, and leave likes or comments pictures, which will go live as soon as the user is reconnected to the internet.
#6 Messenger Bots
Facebook is envisioning a future where Bots (automated programs) can help make our life easier - for example when you're in a group chat and talk about what to order for dinner, the bot will help you suggest restaurants, take everyone's orders, handle the payment and more.
#7 Typing... With your thoughts ?
Apparently, Facebook is working on a way to type faster than on a physical keyboard, by establishing a direct connection to your brain.
The first goal seems to be a "brain mouse for AR", giving the user the ability to make mouse clicks with their thoughts.
The company stressed that it's not about reading or invading your thoughts - they just want to execute thoughts that you've already decided to share by sending them to the speech center of the brain.
Which one of these features are you most excited about, and what other changes would you like to see in social media apps? Comment below!
Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
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© Sirwinchester
This is a very informative article. I have very mixed feelings about mixing VR with reality, especially having things you can only see with a camera. It seems to me that the current compulsion to take video of everything already pulls us away from the ability to live fully in the moment. Right now it's a choice, but what would happen if it became a requirement in order to understand what's going on, e.g. having to pull out my phone to read a note on my kitchen table?
Hmm, interesting thoughts.
I can definitely understand your concerns, but I can also see the exciting part of it - pokemon go created something that has never been there before, and I think as a kid that must be one of the most amazing things ever to see a virtual animal sitting on your real-life bed.
But there's definitely a line where VR / AR will go too far, and I'll be interested to see how far this will develop in the future.
Thanks for your great comment!
Gotta agree a bit there, but it could definitely have some exciting potential as well.
I wrote a similar article but I just chose to concentrate on the mind control aspect of it. Please check it out and let me know your thoughts.
https://steemit.com/thedonald/@notoriousdjp/facebook-mind-control-confirmed-2017418t161047758z
Awesome! Upvoted at 100% and commented.
Thanks! I've resteemed your post! I'd like for people who check out my stuff to get the full spectrum!
Thank you, appreciate it!
Well we know Facebook is the leader in augmented-privacy.
Surely augmented-reality would be the next logical step.
My problem, is that I don't trust them anymore, ever since they invented augmented-privacy.
What is augmented-privacy you say?
The illusion of privacy, when no true privacy actually exists. LOL
Good one. augmented privacy seems to be the perfect summary for this post! Thanks for your comment!
If there's no incentive to users on all these features, it will not go anywhere. Consumers today want to earn some cash and will switch to crypto like Busy or Steemit apps to earn.
That's true, but since 95% of the population don't even know that platforms like steemit exist where you can earn for your content, they'll probably stick to traditional social media that they're familiar with for now!
A big distraction to harvest people's consciousness energy (attention) to the maximum while they're drained of every last drop of wealth (health). Facebook can suck it.
I got some Loki Stormbringer in DAEMON vibes...
You're right, but we'll see how far Facebook will take it in the future - let's hope they don't overdo it!
Que sorprendente
Yes it is! Thanks for your comment :)
Help us all! Everyones gollied by gizmos!
Yes we'll see how far Facebook will take it and if all of these futuristic concepts will take over!
posted this a few weeks back on the "scarier" side of VR/augmented-reality...
Link: Is Virtual Reality Destined to Become Techno-Hell on Earth?
Wow, what an interesting video in that post - can't imagine virtual reality becoming that crazy, colorful and fast-paced! thanks for sharing!
When Whatsapp was bought by Facebook noone understood it. They were offering Facebook Messenger at the time.
It happened, at least that is what people at the USA were telling, that while Messenger ruled in the US, Whatsapp ruled in Europe.
So, no, Whatsapp is not the most popular messaging app
On the other side, while Facebook advertises F8 as its own Developers Conference, what they do is talk only about their own apps and repeat year after year the exact same things about what developers can find on their eco-system.
Interesting, it seems like my European point of view made me think that whatsapp was more popular than FB messenger! Thanks for your input!
Good news ! They can do because they have enough money to invest on such invention !! Good idea !!!