Facebook working on LOL, a meme-based content feed aimed to attract teens back to the platform

Key Highlights: Facebook working on a new feature to bring young users back to the platform. Called LOL, the new feed will replace the "Watch feed" in the app showing memes and GIFs. The feature is currently being tested by 100 high-schoolers bound by NDA. Facebook’s active user base is majorly dominated by older people, but the social network giant has not given up on attracting teens to the platform. After a variety of products like IGTV and Facebook Watched failed to kick off, the company is now gearing up to launch another new product called LOL. LOL is aimed at a meme hub of sorts to attract teens and users who are now fleeing to apps like TikTok, Snapchat and Musically. The feature was first reported by TechCrunch who said it will bridge the gap between meme content and the traditional News Feed. The feature is currently being tested by over 100 high-school children (each bound by NDA) and it replaces the Watch tab with GIF clips. The feed is divided into categories like “For You”, “Animals”, “Fails”, “Pranks” and more. Users can rate the content using three reaction buttons — “Funny”, “Alright” and “Not Funny”. The tab also has auto-play enabled. It is meant to keep teens engaged on the platform for longer. With most millennials now choosing to engage with meme-centric content, the move was expected. Facebook remains one of the largest source of memes. There’s also a “Dailies” section atop the feed working like Stories. It’s meant to replicate Snapchat’s categorically organised shorts. In case you don’t want to scroll, there’s also a “random” option. It seems like a thinly veiled attempt at replicating the interface of popular apps like TikTok and Snapchat. However, the TechCrunch report states the content on the feed are often weeks old. Facebook did confirm it is indeed working on LOL, but didn’t state when it will roll out to a broader audience. Related Links: Facebook launches Lasso to take on TikTok

from Latest Technology News http://bit.ly/2R1JUnY