WhatsApp is testing a new interactive feature. Could it become a fun conversation starter or end up as another clunky addition to existing features?
The amount of time we spend on digital screens has replaced what humans crave the most- community. The digitization of almost everything has contributed to elevated loneliness rates.
And no amount of advanced AI models can cure this human need. But the tech industry is finding new ways to capitalize on this aspect.
From Instagram Stories to Tweets, everyone wishes to be part of a conversation, even if they’re taking part in it through a screen. If Threads, Reels, Subreddits, and of course, the algorithm that drives all these features.
This false sense of community has become the social currency of today.
WhatsApp’s latest feature (in its testing period), Status Questions, is a part of this ruse.
The tech leaders and innovators are filling the gap that they’re taking away from us.
First, WhatsApp was launched as merely a communication app, one that brought people close from across countries, states, and cities. It was a logical way forward- quite easily forward-thinking.
Then, as more and more competitors started to show up, it wished to stand out. The differentiator? Now, you can chat with businesses, Status Updates, Topic-Based Channels, and Communities.
With the latest interactive feature, Status Questions, users can add ‘question boxes’ on any video or picture people post to their status updates. But what exactly is the purpose?
Again, it’s engaging conversations. To kickstart conversations where you can’t simply pose a question or answer someone else’s question. You can only post a single question at a time, and all the responses appear in a single section that the poster is privy to. And even if the answer is shared publicly on the status, then the messenger’s identity remains anonymous.
The point is simple- to make WhatsApp conversations and connections dynamic and fun.
This comes after Meta had introduced a Payments option. Although limited in its capabilities in relation to its digital payments rivals, Indians are actively using the feature.
Maybe indicating that this Status Questions feature wouldn’t contribute much to the existing user demographic is jumping the gun. It could be a small part of making chatting fun again.
For now, it’s merely available to beta testers, with a stable release planned for Android users sometime next week.
