Social Media Archives - Exhibit Tech

How to Start a Finsta

Have you ever wanted to post whatever came to your mind without thinking about getting judged or reaching the wrong audience? While Instagram is a great app for posting your content to keep up socially, sometimes you wish you could post your unfiltered self. Well, look no further and start your own “fake” Instagram or a Finsta.

Definition of ‘Finsta’ on Urban Dictionary

What is a Finsta?

A Finsta is a colloquial term for fake Instagram accounts to post genuine candids and real posts that they only want trusted people to see. An Instagram account can generally be public or private and usually involves editing pictures. However, on a Finsta, people private their accounts, allowing only trusted people to follow this account, and post whatever they want.

This phenomenon started in 2011. People began to notice how different actual accounts were versus fake accounts. Fake Instagram accounts rose in popularity in 2013 and by 2015, it officially became mainstream. With Gen Z, the term got shortened to “Finsta.”

Fundamentals to first think of:

Username: The first step is to always choose a unique username, does not need to involve your name or last name, and many create a pseudonym.
Profile icon: A picture of anything but you. This assures your anonymity, otherwise it defeats the purpose.
Only exchange your Finsta information with the people you want following the account and maintain a low follower count.

Lorde’s finsta is dedicated to onion rings

How to create a Finsta:

Open the Instagram app on your smartphone or any device.
By holding the bottom right corner, your accounts should pop up. Select ‘Add Instagram Account.’
Select ‘Create New Account’ and enter your details.
Do not link your primary or more public account.
Now you can begin posting!

Remember that Finsta is technically not pretending to be someone else entirely. You will still be posting your candids and judgement-free material that you wish to post with people close to you. It is not meant for malicious intent nor typically used illegally. Making a Finsta is up to you and your social media usage.

Text Rewind – Google’s Messages App Testing Editing Feature for Sent Messages!

To elevate its Messages app to new heights, Google has rolled out a series of substantial updates that promise to position the platform as a formidable contender in the messaging arena. Recent enhancements include the integration of Ultra HDR support in RCS chats, introducing a visual feast with features like photomoji and animated stickers.

However, the tech giant’s innovation doesn’t stop there. Reports suggest that Google is actively developing a message editing feature, akin to the functionality found in WhatsApp. Unearthed by The SPAndroid, the beta version of the Google Messages app, released in the final week of November, subtly reveals this upcoming capability.

Diving into the details, four intriguing flags—bugle.enable_edit_ui, bugle.load_edit_history, bugle.process_outgoing_edits, and bugle.process_incoming_edits—hint at the imminent arrival of a text editing feature. The diligent folks at The SPAndroid, through an APK teardown, unveil Google’s creation of a new table in the messages database. This table, seemingly dedicated to storing edited messages, intricately captures crucial information such as message ID, the latest message ID, original RCS message ID, edited and received timestamps, offering users a comprehensive editing experience.

Although the message editing feature remains concealed from the public eye and unconfirmed by Google, it is anticipated to become a handy tool for rectifying typos or tweaking messages post-transmission. With Google consistently bolstering the Messages app, from Ultra HDR support to potential editing prowess, users can expect an evolving and dynamic messaging experience that continues to push boundaries. As the journey unfolds, these updates are poised to transform how we communicate, one innovation at a time.

Lost in the Crowd: Existentialism in the age of social media

“If something burns your soul with purpose and desire, it’s your duty to be reduced to ashes by it. Any other form of existence will be yet another dull book in the library of life” – Charles Bukowski

We live in a time where the very essence of the human experience has been reduced to the scrolling timelines of social media. We’re stimulated throughout the day and the idea of being bored has certainly become a thing of the past. We do not ponder a thought anymore, and when we do, we wonder how the thought can be manipulated and drafted into a social media post that will bring traction. Amidst dancing reels, funny trends and mini travel vlogs packed and parceled to please your dopamine receptors, humans have somewhere diminished their sense of individuality.

While travelling from work to home in the Metro, I often see people using their phones to consume content on the go. Most of the content is usually short-form social media reels that hit your system like a line of cocaine and give you a rush of dopamine. I am not different as I spend a big chunk of my day on social media consuming content too. This no-commitment content consumption model which switches genres with every swipe has ingested an existential angst inside me.

The minds of young adults can be easily captivated by the heightened reality presented on social media. We have influencers on social platforms who promote a certain lifestyle and target young men in order to gain followers and use subliminal marketing to sell products. The Andrew Tates and Dan Bilzerians of the world have polluted the minds of growing men to the point where they do not refrain from insulting the opposite gender. Treating women like sex objects and considering their entire existence is based upon serving men is not a thing of the past, however, one would expect changing times would bring about a positive change. Thanks to social media, we’ve gone back.

The question of ‘Where are we heading as a species’ is as old as time with many philosophers basing their life’s work on it. However, in the modern sense, this question leans more on the negative side.

“If you don’t like it, don’t consume it” is a line people in support of such content creators throw around casually. However, allowing toxic viewpoints to be nurtured on any platform toxicates young minds. As a 25-year-old, who also happens to run a meme page, I often come across users who bash people with independent ideologies. Most of these are young users who feel it is alright to go around saying anything they wish to the opposite gender or people with different sexual preferences. This brings out the Jean-Paul Sartre inside me who wonders where are we heading as a species.

The basis of the existentialist theory states that ‘Everyone must create their own values and live according to their own beliefs and passion’ However, in the age of social media, we find ourselves following trends. We hop on trends like a hungry bunny hopping on carrots, and the hunger here is for likes. The sense of individuality gets diminished in a society which believes in and enjoys following trends be it as simple as visiting a restaurant which has been garnering millions of views on social media.

We feel validated by doing what others are doing on social media. It gives us a sense of community but also strips us of our individuality. Continuing to live hooked to social media is going to trigger an existential crisis among people sooner than one anticipates. However, the depth of this existential crisis will be limited to why we’re not getting likes and comments on our social media posts. I believe it is high time for people to unhook themselves from the actual Matrix, that is social media.

From Twitter to X: What’s in a name?

Twitter was undoubtedly one of the strongest brands in the world. The brand was so significant that the Oxford dictionary included the word ‘Tweet’ in it, no other social media platform has been able to do that yet. However, under the leadership of Elon Musk, Twitter came crashing down literally. It started off with major layouts followed by user complaints about the new leadership. The introduction of the paid verified check mark titled ‘Twitter Blue’ (now known as X Premium) changed the face of social media entirely. The verified check mark was considered a status symbol which is now also sold by Zuckerberg’s Meta.

The evolving phase of Twitter and Elon Musk’s leadership changed the face of the platform entirely, from Twitter to X! Before you jump in to understand what the change means, here’s why Musk decided to change the iconic brand name shared by the man himself on X –

“Twitter was acquired by X Corp both to ensure freedom of speech and as an accelerant for X, the everything app. This is not simply a company renaming itself, but doing the same thing. The Twitter name made sense when it was just 140-character messages going back and forth – like birds tweeting – but now you can post almost anything, including several hours of video. In the months to come, we will add comprehensive communications and the ability to conduct your entire financial world. The Twitter name does not make sense in that context, so we must bid adieu to the bird.”

So… what will the app do now?

Elon Musk has been nothing but vocal about his goal of Turning X (fka Twitter) into an all-purpose platform. China’s WeChat can be considered a goal Musk is trying to achieve as there is no American or global equivalent to such a versatile application. X already allows users to engage in live audio conversations in the form of Spaces, longer posts and broadcasting live videos have also become a thing on the platform.

In simple terms, Musk envisions X to be your go-to platform for everything ranging from news to entertainment. While many users including me believe that the change of brand from Twitter to X is downright unnecessary, one cannot overlook the fact that the platform is indeed evolving for the good. However, the term ‘X Premium Subscription’ reflected in my bank balance sheet does not sit well with my parents!

What about Twitter?

To put it nicely, it’s dead!

The tech billionaire has done away with Twitter and its familiar blue bird logo. Several parts of the platform have also made a switch like X Premium and the Twitter Help Center changing to X Help Center.

Musk has wiped his hands clean from the Twitter branding to the point where more than 580 items of the former Twitter brand will be auctioned off in mid-September. So, whether we agree with Musk or not, we all have to bid goodbye to the iconic Twitter brand forever. Rest it peace little blue bird!

Twitter unveils game-changing revenue sharing model for verified content creators

Twitter announced that a select group of content creators using the platform will now have the opportunity to receive a portion of the advertising revenue generated by the company. According to Twitter, these content creators will be entitled to a share of the revenue generated from ads displayed within their replies.

The creators must be verified users with a minimum of 5 million impressions on their posts in each of the past three months, and they must also have a Stripe payment account; only then they’ll be able to qualify for this program. This move by Twitter aims to attract more content creators to its platform.

Earlier this year, the company introduced the option for users to offer paid subscriptions to their content. Elon Musk, the billionaire who acquired Twitter in October of last year, has previously stated that during the first year, the company will pass on the entire subscription revenue to creators, excluding payment gateway charges.

And suddenly it’s there. Elon buying me a new macbook pic.twitter.com/4xx5C15Uq6

— Daniel (@growing_daniel) July 14, 2023

Twitter’s decision to share advertising revenue with select content creators comes shortly after Meta Platforms, led by Mark Zuckerberg, launched its Threads app, directly challenging Twitter. Threads has gained significant traction, amassing over 100 million sign-ups within five days of its release. In response, Twitter has threatened to take legal action against Meta, accusing the company of hiring former employees with access to trade secrets and confidential information.

Last week, Twitter implemented a temporary limit on the number of tweets users can view per day. This action has sparked criticism and could undermine the social network’s efforts to attract advertisers. The limit was imposed to combat excessive data scraping and system manipulation. This recent change is part of a series of alterations made by the company under Musk’s ownership.

Elon Musk VS Mark Zuckerberg: Twitter threatens to sue Meta over Threads

If you haven’t been living under a rock then you’re well aware of the fact that Meta recently launched the Threads platform which is a direct competition to Twitter. The Internet had a field day yesterday when users flocked to the newly launched platform to share their views predominantly on Twitter vs Threads. The newly launched platform saw thirty million users signing up on the first day, which is not a surprise for me as Threads has the benefit of launching under the Instagram brand, it’s borderline nepotism, to say the least. While Threads has already become a definitive platform in the social media circle, Twitter has threatened legal action against Meta.

Twitter threatens legal action against Meta

Twitter’s lawyer Alex Spiro accused Meta of using their company’s trade secrets by ‘hiring dozens of former employees of the blue-bird app’ Elon’s takeover of Twitter resulted in many employees laid off which became talk of the town back in February. Reacting to this latest development, Musk tweeted that he supported good competition but not ‘cheating’. Musk replied to a news article about Twitter’s potential legal action against Meta writing “Competition if fine, cheating is not”

Spiro, who also works as Elon Musk’s personal lawyer has alleged Meta of systematic, willful and unlawful misappropriation of Twitter’s trade secrets and other intellectual property. Twitter claims that its former employee still had access to its crucial confidential information which was used to build a “copycat” application.

Spiro wrote in a letter, “Twitter intends to strictly enforce its intellectual property rights, and demands that Meta take immediate steps to stop using any Twitter trade secrets or other highly confidential information”

On the other hand, Andy Stone, a Meta spokesperson, stated in a Threads post that the engineering team at Threads does not consists of any former Twitter employees. Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino also took a dig at Meta’s Threads recently saying that Twitter can be imitated, but the Twitter community can never be duplicated.

Instagram all set to compete Twitter with new application

Twitter has been going through a dramatic meltdown ever since Elon Musk took command of the platform. Just recently, Musk revealed that Twitter will be limiting how many tweets a user sees down to just a thousand for non-paying users. It won’t be wrong to state that Twitter is no longer the platform is used to and the changed leadership has caused more damage than one could’ve initially imagined. Taking advantage of a failing platform, Facebook parent Meta is all set to launch a microblogging app of their own titled – Threads.

Twitter competitor on the way

Threads, Instagram’s text-based conversation application is expected to be released on July 6, 2023. This platform will allow users to follow the same people they follow on the photo and video sharing platform of Instagram along with having the same username. The launch comes merely days after Twitter announced the restrictions on their app.

The application is already live on Apple’s App Store. The description for the same read – “Threads is where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what’ll be trending tomorrow. Whatever it is you’re interested in, you can follow and connect directly with your favorite creators and others who love the same things — or build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world.”

while Threads is closely connected to the Instagram platform, it is a standalone application which is an interesting approach, to say the least. There is no definitive information on how the application will operate as of now. However, it looks like users can like, comment, repost, and share posts on it. It will be interesting to see if Meta is able to migrate hardcore Twitter users to their platform. The general consensus about the new Meta platform has been rather underwhelming on Twitter with many users straight up saying they’re not interested in it. One of the tweets I read was something along the line of – “It’s a Meta product, so we won’t use it” which was followed by a good chunk of likes and replies.

The Horrors of Hidden Replies on Twitter

When was the last time your curiosity got the best of you and you ended up clicking the hidden replies tab on Twitter? It is truly one of the most disturbing sections on the internet only second to Reddit (Let’s not open that can of worms for now) The microblogging platform is known to host some of the most vile speaking personalities that need to be censored. Twitter’s response to hate speech and disturbing videos getting posted in the comment section of a tweet was the ‘Hide Reply’ feature which allowed the user to hide replies and diffuse the conversation simply. However, the hidden replies tab is posted right under a tweet which grabs the attention of curious users like me and at times ends up spoiling our day.

Animal abuse, grotesque killings, extreme sex videos, and racial slurs are some of the few things that a user can find under the hidden replies tab. What’s to be noted here is that Twitter was never this nasty before it was under Elon Musk’s leadership. Many users like me were accustomed to it being a platform for users to consume and participate in conversations surrounding breaking news, politics, celebrity discourse, and much more. In the current scenario, Twitter has become a mere shadow of what it used to be and is transforming into a dystopian wasteland.

The prominent reason for the influx of cringeworthy content doing the rounds on Twitter can be blamed on Elon’s infamous decision to unban thousands of accounts that were previously banned. Musk wished to become a champion of free speech with his reign on Twitter which quickly backfired in the form of horrible content making its way to the platform. As of now, there has been no official statement on whether Twitter will be launching a crackdown on this epidemic.

The notoriousness of hidden replies has grown to the point that a hero has risen from the filth – Hidden Replies Checker!!! – Yes, that’s the username of an account that checks the hidden replies for you and gives you a detailed description of what’s going on in the hidden replies section of any specific tweet. Spoiler Alert: almost all of the responses from the account start with a trigger warning which can paint the picture of how bad the situation right now is.

I’ve been a Twitter user for nearly a decade and this undoubtedly is the darkest phase of the platform I’ve witnessed. Twitter seems to have lost its charm under the weight of loathsome content which needs to be refined under strict guidelines. The next time you feel like clicking on the hidden replies section, make sure you’re ready to stomach some horrible things.

Meta Verified: Validation in the Digital Realm

It is human to seek validation. Social media validation, on the other hand, gives people a sense of superiority. There’s a reason why people heavily document their international vacations or even a weekend getaway on their social media through stories or posts. Showcasing that you’re living a better life than the average Joe has become the twisted reason why people post on social media nowadays, or at least, that’s what my pessimistic worldview says to me. To add fuel to the fire, social media also has a class divide. The verification badge!

A simple blue tick beside your name sets you apart from the masses. For years, the verification badge on your profile was something you earned by standing out from the crowd. An entertainer, a philanthropist, a businessman, or a content creator amongst many other notable professionals were awarded the verified status on social media. Well, those were different times and the new age of social media has allowed users to buy verification badges!

Meta Verified comes to India

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently announced on his broadcasts channel that the paid verification system has now launched in India. The US, Australia, and New Zealand were the first countries to receive the paid verification now followed by India, the UK, and Canada.

The verification subscription in India is directly available for purchase on Instagram or Facebook. People can purchase a monthly subscription for ₹699 on iOS or Android. Whereas, users with legacy blue ticks will maintain their verified status. This is a different approach from that of Twitter which decided to yank away the verification status of legacy users in the hopes of turning them into paid subscribers. So, what do you get besides a verified blue tick if you decide to buy the subscription?

After providing a government ID to confirm their identity, subscribers gain access to proactive impersonation protection along with direct access to customer support. Additionally, users also get benefits like badges and exclusive stickers on Facebook and Instagram along with 100 Stars per month on Facebook to support other creators.

Paid Verification: Double-edged Sword

The implementation of paid verification has garnered mixed reviews. The supporters of this subscription model believe that increases the platform’s dependability and openness. This translates to users being more likely to identify between real users and/or impostors. The Meta Verified subscription could lead to solid protection against identity theft, fraud, and fake news.

However, there are also people like me who believe that the service is a class divide between Instagram and Facebook users. The elite hierarchy of a verified badge could breed toxicity among social media users. Some creators on social media often look for shortcuts through unethical bot followers and fake engagement. In a way, Meta has enabled such users by introducing a paid subscription model. Creators who worked hard to achieve a verified status are clearly distraught by Meta’s money-spinning move. It won’t be long before everyone walks around with a verified status on social media and we’re all notable social media personalities!