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Is Instagram “Reels” the New King of the Internet?

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Instagram Reels

With the emergence of a possible TikTok shutdown, Instagram unveiled its latest endeavor. Called “Reels,” Instagram has created a TikTok doppelganger.  Their description states, “Reels invites you to create fun videos to share with your friends or anyone on Instagram. Record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects, and new creative tools.”

So, does this platform live up to the hype? I decided to test it out. After spending some time on both platforms, I formed a comparison based on my findings. 

Layout

My first impression was primarily based on the layout of both platforms. They’re relatively similar in terms of how the interactive icons are spread throughout the screen, but there are a few differences.

Firstly, Reels doesn’t include a “following” section. This subset of TikTok is used to give users a feed of videos that come from people they follow. While Reels doesn’t include this, it isn’t that big of a deal. When I scroll through TikTok, I rarely check the “following” tab anyways. Most people don’t frequent the section, but it would still be nice to have.

Secondly, Reels has slightly smaller buttons. While both platforms have interactive interfaces that allow users to like, comment, and share, TikTok has a bit more convenient setup. Due to the large size of their buttons, it reduces the chance of a misclick. Assuming you primarily hold the phone in your right hand, the TikTok buttons are also more convenient for interacting with. However, both platforms feature the “double-tap” feature. This makes the convenience relatively null, as Reels provides an alternative to physically tapping their buttons. 

Finally, Reels positions their like counter in the bottom right side of the screen. While this isn’t necessarily a “bad thing” (It gives the video itself a larger/uncovered screen), it doesn’t make much sense. With TikTok, you don’t need to adjust your eyes too much when looking for the number of likes on a post. It’s a bit less convenient, but a small blip, if anything. 

None of these aspects matter, but TikTok still earns a slight edge in this category. 

1-0 TikTok. 

Time allotment/Sizing

While Reels had a relatively convenient approach to their interaction layout, I can’t say the same for their caption sizing. Unfortunately, most captions only show a few words before you have to click “more,” leaving minimal space for video descriptions. 

TikTok, on the other hand, excels in this area. With over 4-5 lines of space, TikTok allows creators to add nearly a paragraph of information. For videos with elements of technicality/in-depth content, such space is required. While you technically CAN add that amount of info to Reels captions, the “more” button ruins it. 

Secondly, Reels limits your videos to 15 seconds. Why? I have absolutely no idea. It makes no sense. TikTok allows creators to post videos with times up to 1 minute. This allows for flexibility with commentary, analysis, and a multitude of other factors. I see no reason to shorten that, as it merely stifles creativity. The advertisement states that the videos are “multi-clip,” but you can’t create a masterpiece within 15 seconds. It’s likely a play to make the platform seem “unique,” but it’s more harmful than helpful

2-0 TikTok

Video Creation

When it comes to scrolling through the feeds, the two platforms are just about even. Creators can’t produce content if they aren’t given the proper tools to do so. To analyze this, I decided to attempt to create a video in both places. This section was given the most considerable weight in my mental comparison.

What interested me about reels was their take on filters/effects. Much like Snapchat, users can create and submit templates for impact. Unlike Tikok (to the best of my knowledge), who provides users with effects, Reels allows for creators to pioneer the filters themselves. This feature indirectly provides designers with another way to gain notoriety, as the creators are cited with the effect. If your impact goes viral, so will you. The idea is ingenious, and Reels did a fantastic job with it.

The filter previews on Reels were immaculate. When selecting one, you’re given a multitude of subsections to choose from. Upon picking a section, you’re presented with a variety of possible effects. Not only do they provide pictures, but users can tap on the screen to see a preview of what it looks like in action (most effects are kinetic, meaning they change throughout the video). TikTok uses a catalog method as well, but the setup is a bit messier. Reels presents you with filters that are previewed with images (showcasing what the effect looks like), whereas TikTok forces you to scroll without pictures, essentially forcing you to grasp at straws. With TikTok, you can’t see the effect until you choose it, ruining the convenience. In short, Reels provides a better previewing method.

Finally, (as bland as it may sound) the Reels effects are simply—better. While I was only able to analyze a small sample, the TikTok effects looked amateur in comparison to the ones on Reels. Instagram clearly cares about the quality of their filters, and the animations are fantastic. 

2-1 TikTok

Conclusion

I’d choose TikTok over Reels at any time, in any place. For some reason, transforming Instagram into a mixture of Instagram/Snapchat/Tik Tok doesn’t work. Instagram has clearly found their primary facet, and adding this feature seems unnecessarily complicated. While the subsection may be significant, I don’t go on Instagram to get what I get on TikTok. I go on Instagram to get—Instagram. Every app has a singular primary purpose, and Instagram is no exception. They’ve tried IGTV, they’ve attempted Reels, but it’s just not needed. While TikTok may not be perfect, it’s found an irreplaceable purpose. The setup of Reels is AMAZING, but it’s unnecessary.

An avid social media user, Adam Meskouri hopes to showcase the stories of upcoming digital projects and brands. Through Genfluencer, Adam gives young social media entrepreneurs a platform to share their journey with the world. Besides Genfluencer, he enjoys public speaking and managing his large social media accounts.

Digital Culture

4 Gen Z Card Games to Play with Friends

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Card Game

Gaming has become a trendy pastime for millions of people around the world. However, despite new advancements in PC and console technology, card games are still popular. Statista reports that people from Gen Z showed the lowest levels of enjoyment when playing card games as opposed to millennials and baby boomers.

While this isn’t surprising, as many in the younger generation prefer to play online games like Among Us on their devices, the problem could lie in the fact that they just haven’t found something that appeals to them. With so many games being released today, it’s only a matter of time before they find one that they can enjoy with their friends. Here are some card games that will surely appeal to Gen Z’s taste and sense of humor:

Jungle Speed

An oldy but a goodie, Jungle Speed is a game that requires attention and, as its name suggests, speed. Here, players have to fight to be the first one to grab the totem if someone drops a card identical to theirs, or else they will have to take in all the ones in the discard pile. While there are also special cards, the rules remain relatively the same. If you are looking for something that will get your adrenaline pumping, then this is the game for you.

BONC!

This is a new game that aims to eliminate players one by one. With BONC!, people are given five lives and a deck of cards. When a player drops a card identical to the one put down by the person on their right, that person loses a life. The lower the number, the fewer identical pieces there are of it in the deck. The goal is to eliminate– or “BONC!”– people one by one until a single winner stands. With a few wildcards mixed in, Gen Z players will enjoy this lively game with friends and family.

Incohearent

Gen Z-ers have a catalog of popular memes and quotes in their heads, making Incohearent a funny way to test their knowledge. Here, players are flashed a card with what looks like nonsense words strung together. If said correctly, they form an actual phrase. For example, “hike and even” will become “I can’t even.” These pop culture references will surely appeal to Gen Z and make them laugh as they try to figure out what each card is trying to spell out.

Joking Hazard

This game is quite similar to Cards Against Humanity. Players are tasked to fill in the blanks of a comic strip, and whoever has the funniest adlib wins. Created by Cyanide and Happiness, this is a raunchier game best suited for older members of the generation. Bringing in dark and dirty humor, Joking Hazard will be a blast to play with friends on a chill night in.

Other honorable mentions not listed in this article are Coup, Uno, and What Do You Meme. Choosing the right one to play can vary on whether you want something intense and will get your heart racing (like Jungle Speed and BONC!) or something more geared towards lighthearted fun (like Incohearent and Joking Hazard). But there’s no doubt that there surely is a card game out there for every member of Gen Z to enjoy.

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Digital Culture

Why Facebook Plans On Changing Their Name

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Facebook
Facebook & Messenger (via Alexander Shatov)

Facebook is the parent company of Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook (the social site), and Oculus VR. Recently, there have been many rumors storming the internet suggesting that Facebook could change the name of its parent company. The announcement of this new name is expected at the company’s annual connect conference that will take place on 28th October 2021. 

With a new name, Facebook (the social site), Instagram, and the other platforms currently under Facebook (the company) will now be managed by another Umbrella company. We have already seen this happening with other companies, including Google’s rebrand to Alphabet Inc in 2015 and Snapchat to Snap Inc in 2016. 

We also saw Apple rebrand from Apple Computer to Apple Inc in 2007, when Steve Jobs wanted people to see Apple as a company that offers tech solutions and not just a computer company. 

Currently, the new name that we expect Facebook to reveal is known by just a handful of people internally. Even some of the senior executives at Facebook don’t know what to expect. However, most people hope the name to have something related to Horizons. 

Facebook has not yet made an official statement about this rumor, so the reason for this change is still unclear. However, the most apparent reason for this change is to make the company’s intention clear to everyone; Facebook wants to be more than just a social media company that we know today. They want to be looked at as a tech company with the potential to disrupt any industry using its tech innovations. 

The company already has over 10,000 employees building consumer hardware devices, including AR/VR glasses. Mark Zuckerberg, the current CEO of Facebook, believes VR and AR will soon become a big thing, and the only way of making this a reality is by creating the best VR/AR hardware to take advantage. 

In July 2021, Mark Zuckerberg said he wants Facebook to be looked at as a Metaverse company. Metaverse refers to some form of digital reality that integrates aspects of social media, digital reality, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and cryptocurrencies. Facebook intends to venture into all these technologies to allow users to do much more virtually beyond texting and sharing images.  

The rebrand could also take some pressure off Facebook due to the privacy-related scandals they’ve heard in the last decade. Facebook is no longer that “darling brand” that everyone loved during its early days. Thus, changing the name to something different could rejuvenate the brand popularity they enjoyed during their first 5 to 10 years in the tech business.

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Digital Culture

What Do Gen Z Need to Know About Online Casino Games?

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Gen Z
Poker (via Michał Parzuchowski)

It wasn’t so long ago that online gambling and casino games were illegal across the US. Gen Z is likely to be the first to live most of their adult lives in a world where they can legally bet real money on games like poker and on sporting events. The change is happening slowly but it is inevitable at this point.

Gen Z have largely been left to figure out the ins and outs of online gaming on their own, but what do they need to know before they get started?

Sports Betting is Huge.

Ever wonder who benefits from some of the strange promotional boxing events that keep popping up? Sure, the boxers get a decent paycheck, but the real money is in the betting that happens on the side. Many states have legalized sports betting in the past few years, opening up a whole new side of the gaming industry. Expect to see more and more sites pop up to help Gen Z explore this new frontier of gambling as it becomes readily available in more states.

Online Poker is Making a Comeback.

Nevada, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and Michigan are the only states that have legalized online poker right now. But the matter is being discussed in several other states, and just a few years ago, Nevada and New Jersey were alone. Of course, we’re still not to the levels we were at pre-2011 when online poker played with real money was banned, but it seems that the industry is slowly recovering.

Depending on how the wind blows, this could be an excellent opportunity to get in early when it does arrive in your state. It may take several more years to reach the player levels we were at in the poker boom of the 00s, but that does seem to be the direction its headed now.

Other Games Won’t Be Far Behind.

Poker is the most popular game to play online, but it often leads to people trying a wider variety of games. Slots as well as other table games like blackjack are likely to follow on sites that offer sports betting or online poker. This creates the possibility for complete online casinos to pop up across the web and, with them, the chance for the industry to really find its footing.

What will online casinos look like in the future? That really depends on how the industry is willing to change. It is unlikely that physical venues will be replaced entirely but it wouldn’t be a stretch to expect sites to carry the brands of well known and established venues like Caesars’ Palace or The Bellagio into the digital world.

The Future Looks Different.

The future of online casinos will be full of innovation. With this much money to be made, brands will start to fight for customers, taking advantage of how new tech continues to drop in price. It wasn’t long ago when VR goggles were reserved for the most dedicated of fans, but now they’re becoming more and more commonplace. The same is happening with AR glasses. Expect online casinos to become fertile ground for cryptocurrency, which is thriving at the moment.

The casino industry is notoriously slow to change and adapt, but the events of the past few years have given them more cause to embrace emerging technologies.

Much of the online casino industry will be left up to Gen Z to explore on their own. It is important to approach these changes with caution, but they represent an exciting realm of online entertainment. We all just have to wait to see how quickly those changes come about.

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