Facebook, keen to tap into a younger audience, is hoping to grab the attention of teens by creating a meme app called LOL because we all know teens go hog wild for those dang internet memes. Reported by TechCrunch, it sounds like the app will be kinda like an Instagram for memes, featuring videos and GIFs in a feed categorised by different topics, like fails and animals, for example.
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The feed is controlled by an algorithm and allow users to interact with posts via commenting on, reacting to, or sharing them. Facebook told TechCrunch it’s currently testing the app with a group of 100 high school students with the consent of their parents, of course.
According to the report, the company isn’t looking to replace its Watch tab – which shows curated and user-generated video – with this new app, but it’s still not really clear whether it’ll be a standalone project like Instagram, or part of the greater Facebook app, as Watch is. Either way, the team’s hoping it’ll draw in a new audience of teenage meme lords.
The best part is, sources close to TechCrunch told them the app feels “cringey” in a ‘how do you do, fellow kids’ kinda way. Also, a lot of the content is apparently quite old, which simply doesn’t cut it when you’re a meme-hungry teen. They want that fresh shit. LOL also allows users to mark content as “Funny,” “Alright,” or “Not Funny,” so I’m guessing it could be getting a lot of the latter.
The motivation behind LOL is pretty clear – young eyes are worth a lot of money to brands, and I don’t mean in a weird literal way where brand names are buying the eyes of teens to use in their products, I mean getting their eyes in front of advertising. Monetising memes translates to big cash for Facey-B but I doubt a meme feed is gonna cut it, to be honest.
I give LOL a month before it’s shut down for good. Sorry, Facebook, the kids can smell your bullshit a mile away.
