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Make glasses cool with new emojis, urges UK schoolgirl

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Make glasses cool with new emojis, urges UK schoolgirl

There are currently only three emojis with glasses – Copyright AFP TENGKU Bahar

Helen ROWE

British schoolgirl Lowri Moore is just 13 but has achieved a lot in her short life, championing children who like her wear glasses.

Aged nine, she persuaded Disney to create a bespectacled heroine for the first time, in the hit film “Encanto”.

Her #GlassesOn campaign has meanwhile struck a chord with thousands of young people and their parents around the world.

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Now she has another US giant in her sights.

The teenager from Nottinghamshire, central England, is urging the body responsible for all new emojis to give people the option to put glasses on them.

She says many people believe that children being stigmatised for wearing glasses is a thing of the past.

But she argues many children still resist wearing their glasses for fear of appearing “different or uncool”.

Research shows children with spectacles are over 35 percent more likely to be bullied at school, and not wearing them can have far-reaching consequences.

“We are in touch with a professor who works in Botswana to give children glasses and he said that most of the children that get glasses don’t want to wear them for fear of being different and not cool,” Lowri told AFP.

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– ‘Biggest fan’ –

She said that without glasses you need, “you won’t be able to learn and that will limit your job options and you will probably really struggle in life all because you didn’t wear your glasses. That’s not fair.”

Lowri’s latest campaign was sparked when her mother Cyrilyn tried to find an emoji relevant to her daughter.

“She was looking for an emoji that would represent me but all she found was a nerd.

“She kept on looking and there was a granny and a teacher but obviously that doesn’t represent me,” she said.

Lowri said it was great there were some bespectacled emojis, but three was not enough.

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“It’s not really positive so we’re just asking for the option of putting glasses onto already existing emojis,” she said after handing in copies of her letter at the London offices of tech giants Google and Meta on Wednesday.

Aged just nine, Lowri got Disney to make its first heroine with glasses, in the film ‘Encanto’ — © AFP/Disney

Lowri’s campaigning began in 2019 when she wrote to Disney calling for more characters with glasses in their films.

Two years later, the “Encanto” character Mirabel Madrigal hit the big screen.

Director Jared Bush revealed he had been inspired by the schoolgirl’s letter, telling her: “I am your biggest fan, I’m so impressed by you.”

The director also said he had wanted to let her know much earlier, but had to keep it secret until the movie was in the bag.

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– ‘Negative stereotypes’ –

In her latest letter, Lowri praised the Unicode Consortium, the non-profit organisation based in California that oversees new emojis, for offering users more choice.

But she urged them to go further.

“I’d love to see the option to add glasses to face emojis, similar to changing skin colour or hair colour as you have already made available,” she wrote.

Having the current “nerd” emoji as the only one available for young people could be “damaging as it helps to confirm the negative stereotype and stigma that we are trying hard to destroy”, she added.

Lowri’s campaigning success was recognised earlier this year when she was named “Campaigner of the Year” by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB).

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Failing to wear glasses can prevent children’s eyes from developing normally and lead to avoidable eye conditions.

1667940303 596 Make glasses cool with new emojis urges UK schoolgirl

‘If you struggle to see, you struggle to learn’, said Jessica Thompson of the IAPB, which works in over 100 countries worldwide. — © AFP

Jessica Thompson of the IAPB, which works in over 100 countries worldwide, said Lowri’s advocacy was helping to highlight the damage to children’s futures of not wearing glasses.

“If you struggle to see, you struggle to learn,” she told AFP.

Wearing glasses was the single “most effective” health intervention for schoolchildren, “reducing the odds of failing a class by 44 percent”, she added.

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Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?

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Snapchat Explores New Messaging Retention Feature: A Game-Changer or Risky Move?

In a recent announcement, Snapchat revealed a groundbreaking update that challenges its traditional design ethos. The platform is experimenting with an option that allows users to defy the 24-hour auto-delete rule, a feature synonymous with Snapchat’s ephemeral messaging model.

The proposed change aims to introduce a “Never delete” option in messaging retention settings, aligning Snapchat more closely with conventional messaging apps. While this move may blur Snapchat’s distinctive selling point, Snap appears convinced of its necessity.

According to Snap, the decision stems from user feedback and a commitment to innovation based on user needs. The company aims to provide greater flexibility and control over conversations, catering to the preferences of its community.

Currently undergoing trials in select markets, the new feature empowers users to adjust retention settings on a conversation-by-conversation basis. Flexibility remains paramount, with participants able to modify settings within chats and receive in-chat notifications to ensure transparency.

Snapchat underscores that the default auto-delete feature will persist, reinforcing its design philosophy centered on ephemerality. However, with the app gaining traction as a primary messaging platform, the option offers users a means to preserve longer chat histories.

The update marks a pivotal moment for Snapchat, renowned for its disappearing message premise, especially popular among younger demographics. Retaining this focus has been pivotal to Snapchat’s identity, but the shift suggests a broader strategy aimed at diversifying its user base.

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This strategy may appeal particularly to older demographics, potentially extending Snapchat’s relevance as users age. By emulating features of conventional messaging platforms, Snapchat seeks to enhance its appeal and broaden its reach.

Yet, the introduction of message retention poses questions about Snapchat’s uniqueness. While addressing user demands, the risk of diluting Snapchat’s distinctiveness looms large.

As Snapchat ventures into uncharted territory, the outcome of this experiment remains uncertain. Will message retention propel Snapchat to new heights, or will it compromise the platform’s uniqueness?

Only time will tell.

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Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach

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Catering to specific audience boosts your business, says accountant turned coach

While it is tempting to try to appeal to a broad audience, the founder of alcohol-free coaching service Just the Tonic, Sandra Parker, believes the best thing you can do for your business is focus on your niche. Here’s how she did just that.

When running a business, reaching out to as many clients as possible can be tempting. But it also risks making your marketing “too generic,” warns Sandra Parker, the founder of Just The Tonic Coaching.

“From the very start of my business, I knew exactly who I could help and who I couldn’t,” Parker told My Biggest Lessons.

Parker struggled with alcohol dependence as a young professional. Today, her business targets high-achieving individuals who face challenges similar to those she had early in her career.

“I understand their frustrations, I understand their fears, and I understand their coping mechanisms and the stories they’re telling themselves,” Parker said. “Because of that, I’m able to market very effectively, to speak in a language that they understand, and am able to reach them.” 

“I believe that it’s really important that you know exactly who your customer or your client is, and you target them, and you resist the temptation to make your marketing too generic to try and reach everyone,” she explained.

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“If you speak specifically to your target clients, you will reach them, and I believe that’s the way that you’re going to be more successful.

Watch the video for more of Sandra Parker’s biggest lessons.

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Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement

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Instagram Tests Live-Stream Games to Enhance Engagement

Instagram’s testing out some new options to help spice up your live-streams in the app, with some live broadcasters now able to select a game that they can play with viewers in-stream.

As you can see in these example screens, posted by Ahmed Ghanem, some creators now have the option to play either “This or That”, a question and answer prompt that you can share with your viewers, or “Trivia”, to generate more engagement within your IG live-streams.

That could be a simple way to spark more conversation and interaction, which could then lead into further engagement opportunities from your live audience.

Meta’s been exploring more ways to make live-streaming a bigger consideration for IG creators, with a view to live-streams potentially catching on with more users.

That includes the gradual expansion of its “Stars” live-stream donation program, giving more creators in more regions a means to accept donations from live-stream viewers, while back in December, Instagram also added some new options to make it easier to go live using third-party tools via desktop PCs.

Live streaming has been a major shift in China, where shopping live-streams, in particular, have led to massive opportunities for streaming platforms. They haven’t caught on in the same way in Western regions, but as TikTok and YouTube look to push live-stream adoption, there is still a chance that they will become a much bigger element in future.

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Which is why IG is also trying to stay in touch, and add more ways for its creators to engage via streams. Live-stream games is another element within this, which could make this a better community-building, and potentially sales-driving option.

We’ve asked Instagram for more information on this test, and we’ll update this post if/when we hear back.

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