Written by Ernie Sulastri, Ai Yun Lee and Jeremy Lim.

Fun Animated Selfie Stickers for Instagrammers!

Instagram is seen to be testing on a new feature on IG stories. Twitter user, Vaclav Bahout shared some snapshots on how the animated selfie stickers work on IG Stories, with interesting new tools such as overlaying graphics and effects related to different emoji characters. Talk about customization!

However, the new function may be only available in certain regions at this stage. So how does this new feature work? It works by simply navigating it via the new rounded ‘Selfie’ sticker option, on the main page. It can also be used as many times as you like within that frame’s story. It’ll be interesting to see various Instagrammers take on their own creativity and maximize this new interesting feature, which results in creating more options for your IG Stories.

Snapchat busts COVID-19 myths with an interactive game

Put your knowledge about coronavirus to the test with Snapchat’s new ‘Covid-19 Myth Busting’ trivia game – appearing as an interactive filter on the self-facing camera view. The questions and answers are based on information from the WHO and have similar content to the myth-busting center.

A question about coronavirus will appear at the bottom of the screen and the user chooses “true” or “false”. The filter then changes to show whether the answer’s right or wrong. Users will have the option to tap the camera button on the screen to let them send a snap of themselves within the game filter frame to a friend.

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This allows the user’s friend to play the game and friends can send questions and answers back and forth to each other.

You can try out the game now by simply scanning the Snapchat code below using the app’s camera. The game should appear in your app and you can start playing, test your knowledge and challenge your friends!

Fake COVID-19 News labelled as ‘Infodemic’

The COVID-19 outbreak is presenting social media with some very real challenges, along with some unique opportunities. As people rely more and more on social platforms to deliver current news relating to the pandemic, they are also turning towards sketchy unverified, unsubstantiated sources to obtain the most ‘up-to-date’ information.

On March 11 alone, there were more than 19 million mentions related to COVID-19 across social channels, blogs, and online news sites, according to a global estimate from social analytics firm, Sprinklr. But experts fear that a large proportion of those conversations are infected by fake or misleading information. The issue is so serious that the World Health Organization (WHO) has labelled COVD-19 fake news an “infodemic”. 

In response, social media giants like Facebook, LinkedIn, Reddit, Twitter and YouTube are teaming up directly with WHO directly slow the spread of misinformation – from providing WHO with as many free ads as it needs, to the blocking of ads from exploiting the pandemic.