AFTER MUCH controversy and preliminary testing, the iconic like symbol of Facebook will soon be expanding to include 5 new options called “reactions”, according to Bloomberg Business.
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According to Thenextweb.com, Facebook’s chief product officer Chris Cox has confirmed that reactions are going global. Previously reported in October, Cox’s team created a final product of alternatives that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg approved showing to the public. But it should be stated that Facebook is NOT getting rid of the like button, instead the company is just adding onto it – because sometimes, simply saying you “like” something just isn’t enough.
At the same time, it is limited in its appeal because people often post status updates – “my cat died” – where using the Like button may not be appropriate. “It just felt different to use Facebook that day”, he says.
With this array of emotions, used in the same way as the “Like” button, users can display an equal variety of feelings on posts, including amazement, anger, love and amusement. After careful consideration, those responses were whittled down to angry, sad, haha, wow and love – all of which will be represented by animated emojis. Announcing that Facebook was working on something unique, Zuckerberg had said: “Not every moment is a good moment, right?” One may not always want to use Like to respond to certain posts or announcements a user makes, for example, when someone passes away.
Facebook began testing the emoji in Spain and Ireland first, but the company is now ready to release the feature in the U.S.
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The social media giant is hoping the additional choices will encourage people to share their thoughts more frequently and spend even longer periods on the social network than they already do. Accessible by hovering over the Like menu online or touching the Like button in a mobile app, Reactions have been designed as an “elegant and fun” way to express emotions online.
