Yubo, a social discovery app favored amongst Gen Z users, aims to forge healthy social media practices by focusing on connection over "Likes".
Generation Z is the generation of people born between 1997 and 2012. Gen Zers have only known a world with the internet: they were born just as social media was taking off, and everyone was unaware of how it was about to forever change the way the world interacted.
According to Gitnux Market Data findings, 95% of teenagers in the United States have access to a smartphone, and 45% are "almost constantly" online. And Forbes reported that up to 95% of teenagers between 13 and 17 have one or more social media accounts, such as Yubo, TikTok, or Snapchat. It's an integral way of life for Gen Zers.
"The arrival of the smartphones has radically changed every aspect of teenagers' lives, from the nature of their social interactions to their mental health," psychologist Jean Twenge wrote in The Atlantic.
Interacting on social media is so much fun it's not uncommon for users to spend hours on the platforms. A report from Morning Consult stated 38% of Gen Zers allocate more than four hours a day to social media sites. While it allows users to connect easily with people worldwide, unfortunately, research suggests a correlation between body image issues, anxiety, and isolation stemming from social media usage. This has sparked a growing Gen Z movement to push back at companies like Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram over how they control teen users' social lives.
Fortunately, Yubo, available on Android and iOS, is a live social discovery app focused on changing how young people use social media for the better.
Changing the Landscape of Social Media
"We want to empower young people to socialize and create friendships in the digital world the same way they would in real life," stated Sacha Lazimi, Yubo's CEO and co-founder.
Yubo strives to bring the social aspect back to social media. It's designed for Gen Z to grow their online social circles by easily finding and connecting with new friends worldwide. The platform is fast becoming a hub of online entertainment, where people go to have fun, play games, and livestream.
Younger people appreciate that the live social discovery app is focused on keeping it real, unlike more traditional social media sites where users may feel compelled to put their meticulously curated lives on display for likes and accolades or apply filters to remove every "flaw" from selfies. It doesn't have the "likes" or "followers" functionality that many other performance-based social networks utilize.
Yubo is the place to be for those who enjoy belonging to a community of like-minded people. The social app aims to make a fun, inclusive virtual space. Its good vibes only aspect is appealing to many. Of its more than 60 million users, 99% are between 13 and 25. Yubo works to group its users based on age, using "age gating" to limit interaction between younger users and older adults.
It's easy to use and allows members to filter profiles for locations and gender. It has a swiping feature. This enables users to swipe left or right on the profiles of other members in their same age group and direct message with them.
"We are proud of our community," stated Lazimi. "Our users are nonjudgmental and focus on having meaningful conversations on topics they care about while enjoying themselves. We work to maintain this through prioritizing safety as well as educating users on digital literacy."
Yubo Focuses on Connection and Community
The app is celebrated for its illustrious livestreaming capabilities and how it tailors the experience to its users. Up to 10 people can participate with the streamer. However, the amount of viewers is unlimited. With so many younger people on the platform, it's reassuring that streamers can only join the livestream if the host has invited them.
People can utilize livestreaming on the app in numerous ways. Some are solo entertainers who talk to viewers and tell stories or jokes, while some host talent shows, meet and greets, debates, or game nights. However, the majority of streamers are going live in small groups to meet new people or hang out with friends. Think of it as a virtual living room.
When users open the app, they're automatically in the Live section. This is where they can see who is livestreaming and can join them. Those wanting to start a livestream can tap the + symbol at the screen's top right. After setting up the frame and enabling the camera and microphone permissions, it's as easy as tapping on the Start the Livestream option.
Expanding one's social circle is simple with the app's search function. There are subgroups for various interests, including gaming, music, TV, movies, sports, and artists. The social media app has over 8 million tags, or topics of interest, ranging from the Japanese manga series Naruto and the Netflix hit Stranger Things to singer Drake and the film franchise The Avengers, to make it easier than ever to find like-minded friends.
Yubo users don't need to go live to have a good time. Tapping the Chats section displays the member's connections. They can send and receive messages and photos. The Friends tab is where members can see friend requests from others and browse profiles. Once a member accepts a friend request from someone, their story appears at the top. Tap on their profile to send them a message or start a conversation.
The live social discovery app utilizes swiping as a fun way to find friends. Users scroll through profiles and swipe right to send requests. Want to skip the profile? Simply swipe left.
The app aims to create a safer online community where younger people can safely enjoy exploring their passions and interests. It's also empowering new generations to discover more about themselves and the world around them while establishing valuable friendships authentically online.
Marie Marchand, Yubo's global community and social media lead, mentioned the possibility of "boundaryless events" that viewers can stream virtually anywhere. "Gen Z is ushering in a new, boundaryless type of event - one they can watch wherever they are, whenever and however they want to watch," she said. "This is something that is becoming more and more evident for Gen Z, as people tune in to stream Taylor Swift's Eras tour from their phone on the other side of the world, [or] react to Met Gala outfits in real time."
