Facebook Attempts to Halt Decline in Teenage Userbase With New LOL Feature

• Facebook is working on a new TikTok-like video sharing feature for short clips and GIF loops.
• The feature is currently being tested by 100 high school students as part of a beta program.
• There is currently no official word on when the feature will go live for all users.

Last year it was reported that Facebook is losing its teenage user base to other platforms that have more features which are attractive to the demographic. It seems like the platform is serious about retaining its dominance in the social media sphere with a new meme-based feature that will allow users to share short video clips.

Popularized by TikTok and similar social media platforms, shot clip sharing is now the rage among teenagers, and Facebook wants to jump on the bandwagon as well. The platform is reported to be working on its ‘LOL’ feature that will allow users to share short video clips or GIF-style loops. The content will be made available from the top meme pages on the social media platform and will be integrated to the News Feed.

Image Courtesy of TechCrunch

The feature is currently in testing according to reports with only 100 high school students being part of the beta. Facebook will be receiving feedback from the beta testers and implement the feature in the future with some tweaks. This is not the first time Facebook has tried to emulate its competitors in the social media scene with the company launching Slingshot to compete against Snapchat but was not successful.

Facebook Lasso was introduced last year, and even though it did not generate much traction, the platform has not given up on the feature yet. Short Stories-style content has become a lot more popular compared to generic images and videos which Facebook is known for. There is no confirmation that LOL will be making it to the social media platform unless the beta testers are happy with the new feature and if it is appealing enough to keep teenagers engrossed in the midst of the competition.

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