In today’s digital communication landscape, social media platforms are ideal for pinpointing the latest trends and catching up with friends. Many of these exchanges take place while users work, attend school, or engage in their regular routines.
However, live social discovery app Yubo is taking friend-to-friend communication to a new level. While users enjoy school breaks and visit fun destinations on vacation, they can use Yubo to stay in touch and share snapshots of their favorite sights. With over 60 million users in 140 countries, Yubo enables chats and livestreams with just a few clicks.
Social Media’s Role in Making Satisfying Connections
During the past two decades, social media has become an increasingly prominent communication medium. This trend took center stage during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, during which nationwide lockdowns meant forced isolation for millions of young people.
Instead of meeting in the hallways at school, or gathering in the break room at work, teens and young adults turned to chatting on their smartphones and engaging in video calls. Although these interactions could not replace in-person meetings, users found it easy to communicate with friends and family. The conversations also helped many young people to feel less isolated and alone.
Using Social Media During School Breaks and Travels
With the pandemic largely out of the picture, schools and workplaces are back to normal operations. However, many schools shut down for spring break and summer vacation. Family getaways can span a long weekend, a week, or longer.
Each event results in time away from a teen’s or young adult’s familiar setting (and their friends). Now, the young person must adapt to an unfamiliar routine without their regular support system.
Three Strategies for Enhancing Virtual Interactions
Fortunately, creative social media use can help to maintain one’s social circle when in-person connections are off-limits. Simply put, users can stay in touch whether their friends are across town or across the globe. The following three strategies can also help to enhance users’ virtual interactions.
Recognition of Online Communication’s Advantages
Online communication has two distinct advantages over in-person interactions. Granted, emails, chats, and texts don’t allow the two parties to see facial expressions or hear voice inflections. Therefore, it may be difficult to gauge the recipient’s mindset and response to messages.
At the same time, however, each user can respond at their own pace. Sometimes, they may prefer lightning-fast text exchanges with a close friend or someone who shares their perspective. However, some texters prefer stream-of-consciousness messages that can go on for several sentences (or paragraphs). Either choice can meet a particular user’s needs.
Active (Not Passive) Social Media Use
Instead of aimlessly scrolling through social media feeds, users should actively seek content that sparks their interest. Maybe they’ll decide to research the topic so they can understand it better. Maybe the content would resonate with a friend who shares that interest. Either way, they have engaged their mind and expanded their perspective.
For example, a user might send a funny dog video to a friend who works with a canine rescue group. Taking another tack, the user could share an article about the universe’s origins with an astronomy fan. Finally, the user could seek out content that reminds them of a favorite family member or friend. By sending that article or video to them, the user reaffirms the connection.
Generous Amounts of “Face to Face” Time
Video chatting with friends can be almost as good as catching up in person. These real-time conversations enable both parties to see each other’s expressions and body language. And besides hearing each other’s words, both parties can notice voice inflections that may indicate a certain emotion. Finally, video chats allow for more spontaneity than SMS/texting exchanges.
These video chats provide an excellent format for recurring check-ins. Friends who don’t see each other away from school can catch up every week at a certain time. A friend traveling throughout Europe may drop in to share news of exciting new destinations. In short, versatile video chats can provide a window into others’ daily routines and satisfying experiences.
Yubo Combines 21st-Century Technology with a Focus on Friendship
In the highly competitive social media arena, many apps are vying for Gen Z users’ attention. Aged 13 to 25, these technologically savvy teens and young adults often grow weary of apps that clutter users’ feeds with news and ads. Many platforms also prioritize “likes” and “follows.” This sets up a competitive atmosphere that emphasizes numbers rather than authentic user connections.
Enter Paris-based Yubo, a live social discovery app that debuted in 2015. This rapidly growing online platform caters to the Gen Z market’s distinctive communication preferences. Unlike many other social apps, however, Yubo doesn’t focus on “likes” and “follows.” Instead, Yubo encourages users to make authentic connections with other same-aged users.
Yubo clearly has a global reach, as users come from many intriguing countries and rich cultures. Despite users’ different geographic locations, they often have similar mindsets, leading to growing friendships with other users across the globe.
Two Easy Ways to Keep in Touch
Yubo users can keep in touch with friends via two easy communication methods. First, two users can enjoy a one-to-one chat. In addition, Yubo livestreams (or “lives”) enable up to 10 streamers to socialize in the same room.
Personalized Chats
If a Yubo user wants to connect with a friend, the two parties will first become friends on the Yubo app. Now, both users can enjoy a fun one-to-one chat. Friends separated for the summer, or while one is vacationing or traveling, will find these private chats an appealing option.
Yubo Livestreams
Livestreaming has taken the social media world by storm. On the Yubo platform, users have made livestreams (or “Lives”) the app’s most-used communication method. During each Yubo Live, one to 10 users can stream at once, although an unlimited number of fellow users can send live comments. This offers friends an opportunity to catch up when they can’t get together in person.
Naturally, every livestream is different. Besides engaging in spirited conversations, streamers may highlight a talent or tell a funny story. Users choose a livestream based on language, country, or a specific interest. Every day, thousands of livestreams beckon users from across the globe.
Livestream Moderation Enhances User Safety
Every livestream participant wants (and deserves) a safe online user experience. Toward that end, Yubo has become the globe’s first major social media app to institute real-time audio and video moderation for livestreams.
The company’s sophisticated artificial intelligence (or AI) tools are the primary monitoring mechanism. Human Safety Specialists also play a key role in the moderation process.
How Livestream Moderation Works
Yubo’s AI tools filter and evaluate second-by-second livestream video screenshots. Concurrently, the AI transcribes the livestream’s audio, identifying inappropriate (and potentially harmful) content that appears. Safety Specialists also regularly monitor livestreams, and they can jump in to address urgent issues.
If a user displays inappropriate (and potentially risky) behavior or violates the Yubo Community Guidelines, the AI filter sends an alert to a Safety Specialist. This skilled professional is authorized to investigate and (if necessary) take immediate action.
User consequences include warnings and removal of the offensive content. Alternatively, the user could receive a temporary or permanent device ban. Finally, the Safety Specialist can escalate the issue to local law enforcement if appropriate.
Three Additional Online Safety Measures
Yubo’s integrated safety features include two user-generated options. The AI algorithm addresses users who may be ready to post undesirable content.
Yubo Encourages User Involvement
Yubo users also help to keep chats and livestreams safe. If a user notes behavior that potentially violates Yubo’s Community Guidelines, they can tap the shield icon before tapping the “Report” icon. A Safety Specialist will quickly initiate an investigation and address the issue.
Users can also access the app’s “Muted Words” feature. This option invites users to identify words, phrases, and even emojis they’d like to avoid in chats and livestreams. This functionality enables users to avoid textual elements they find objectionable in some way.
AI Algorithms Respond to Perceived Red Flags
The ever-present AI algorithms also respond to perceived user violations. If the AI sees that a user is about to use harmful language or post sensitive or otherwise inappropriate content, the algorithm sends a pop-up asking the user to reevaluate their actions. Experts have noted that this tactic can be effective in promoting behavioral change.
The Yubo Safety Board Drives Online Safety Innovation
As Yubo users enjoy regular check-ins with their friends, Yubo’s Safety Specialists and AI algorithms operate behind the scenes to promote online safety. The Yubo Safety Board also maintains a leading role in the company’s safety program. These respected safety professionals are sourced from industry leaders such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Thorn, INTERPOL, and The Diana Award.
Throughout the year, the Safety Board advises Yubo’s management on best practices and general safety protocols. When a specific issue arises, the Safety Board proactively provides guidance on the most constructive response.
