April 23, 2019
If you’re like us, you’ll always be on the lookout for the latest updates to all things social, as we strive to maximise their powers and try to understand if they’re worth digging into. Sometimes we get game-changing updates which shift the course of the social landscape and create a pathway for others to follow, but other times it’s just another click bait type story to keep us engaged. Instagram recently teased us with a potential update which would allow us to pause, rewind and freely watch videos in feed, but we’re yet to see that roll out.
So, what’s next? Well, it’s not an entirely new feature, but communal video viewing is something being tested on Instagram that could perhaps change the way users react and engage with content. By doing this, Instagram will make things more multi-participatory, allowing users to view on-platform video content with friends, whilst also seeing their reactions live on screen via a phone camera. Facebook facilitated more than 12 million watch parties since launching a similar feature last year, clearly showing a hunger for more interactive, reactive and communal viewing of video content. After all, we’re becoming more and more plugged into social networks and are finding new ways to communicate every day.
Who knows, we may not ever need to leave our homes ever again, as we gather communally around our handheld devices and consume content with friends from the comfort of our sofa.