Instagram and Facebook are updating their platforms to promote social distancing during COVID-19 to promote governmental enforced social distancing regulations. Instagram has teamed up with its parent company Facebook, to create an additional option in viewing social media. Users are capable of sharing their likes and favorited photos, videos, and memes bouncing from screen to screen, a somewhat version of being on FaceTime while sharing screens to each user’s phone.
“Co-Watching,” as CNet reported, will allow groups to troll user threads together over video chat. CNet continued, “From there, they can view saved, liked and suggested photos and videos with each other by tapping the photo icon in the bottom left corner of the chat.” In an effort to stress the importance of social distancing during COVID-19, Instagram deployed new stickers that can be placed over photos before being uploaded. These stickers included the phrases “Stay Home” and “Thanks Health Hero’s.”
As per Instagram, “Today we’re launching a new “Stay Home” sticker that you can find in Stories. If you use the sticker, your photo or video will be added to a shared Instagram story where people can see how you’re staying home and staying safe.” By grouping together users that choose to add a sticker and promote social distancing, Instagram’s attempts to help slow the speed of the virus are modern and creative.
In addition to adding new stickers and changing software to better assist their users, Instagram has also promised to attempt and destroy false news that floats from page to page. CNet reported, “To keep its users informed on the latest regarding COVID-19, Instagram will now direct users to sources such as the World Health Organization and other official health institutes.” The Verge reported that, when asked how information is censored on their platform, Instagram responded, “Posts are rated false by third-party fact-checkers, we remove them from Explore and hashtag pages.”
As Instagram begins to try and do their part during the COVID-19 pandemic, Facebook too is attempting to advertise their belief in the sincerity in practicing social distancing. CNBC explained, “We want to make sure we’re doing what we can to help support the public health,” Zuckerberg said. As of early April, Facebook announced that users will begin to see a mandatory page pop-up, noting it is a “COVID-19 Response Page.” “Facebook’s coronavirus information center has been built in collaboration with health partners. The goal here is to put authoritative information from organizations like the GDC and WHO in front of everyone who uses our services,” CNBC reported.
The rise in big-business governmental assistance is obvious throughout the country. Facebook, by no surprise, has agreed to monitor social distancing practices across the states, and whether or not they not only work but are safe. A spokesperson for Facebook stated, “We think that Facebook and the wider tech industry can continue to find innovative ways to help respond to that [social distancing and practices] crisis.” CNBC reported that Facebook obtained its information via a survey. They continued, “The survey tool was developed by researchers at the Carnegie Mellon University Delphi Research Center, and is designed to be used by health officials to figure out where and when to relax shelter-in-place guidelines when there are still gaps in COVID-19 testing.”
As the third week of serious social distancing makes its turn, COVID-19 shows its true colors. Millions of Americans use social media as a tool to learn about the virus and information regarding what to do if they feel sick. Social media platforms continue to help spread useful information across the screens of their thousands of viewers in an attempt to help emphasize the importance of social distancing, and how practicing proper procedures can help slow the spread. Instagram’s decision to help promote the importance of social distancing and Facebook’s attempts to aid in the accuracy of information-sharing are proving to both ways that emphasize the importance of proper social distancing.
