When we think of social media we think of opening an app and seeing what other people are up to. We think of scrolling through a feed twice curated, once by the posters and twice by the platform, creating a certain mirage of lifestyles and depictions through various types of content. That is what we think of first. Secondly, we might think of posting here and there if we have a photogenic moment or other experience to share. Or perhaps you take social media and content creation seriously, so you spend hours creating content that is in line with the vibe you want to portray. Then you post it and hope it performs well. You hope other people see it, engage with it, and share it – and if you’re lucky, it goes viral. But for the most part, our feeds are full of influencers, celebrities, brands or other huge pages or creators who do this full-time.

While social media’s origins were synonymous with its name, it has evolved into something quite different. To generalize, the better name for modern social media might be “parasocial media.” In case you don’t know what a parasocial relationship is, it is one that is “one-sided.” The best example of this is celebrities and their fans. We all love Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and we feel like we know him, meanwhile, he doesn’t know most of us exist. It would be impossible for him to. Robin Dunbar, a British anthropologist, believes that humans can only maintain about 150 connections at one time. Modern scientists tend to agree with his theory, so how can Dwayne know all 357 million of his followers (on Instagram alone)? He can’t and that’s okay.

Now let me ask you this, does any of that sound social? Not really, huh? This isn’t a reason to stop using social media, nor should you feel shorted from your online interactions and experiences. Social media has changed the world and created a lot of opportunities for many. It has changed journalism and news, it has held many accountable, given many a voice, made many people laugh, sparked creativity, broadened our horizons, made people feel less alone, and so much more. It just feels a bit hokey calling it “social” media when it is barely social anymore. There are apps that focus on putting the “social” back in social media, like Yubo. But the larger apps we think of when prompted with “social media” consists of scrolling through content, liking, and occasionally sharing a post or two. That is simply a shallow social interaction, it is all second-hand. In that instance, the only interaction that happens is the occasional DM or engaging in comments if you happen to get a reply.

So, what if you want to actually use social media to socialize? You’re in luck, all you need to do is actually interact with other people, not just their content. That’s what socializing is, isn’t it? The act of interacting with others. Not to brag, but this is where Yubo shines. 

Yubo was created to give people a place to socialize again, so much so that the app is solely dedicated to it. But this article is not all about Yubo. Here are two ways you can actually use social media to socialize.

What is Yubo?

The first one may seem like a given, but it is the easiest and most fun way to interact with others online. Message people. It sounds simple, but most users rarely even leave comments. It can always be awkward “sliding into someone’s DMs,” but it’s necessary if you want to meet new friends or even stay in touch with old ones. Plus, social media does a great job at showcasing people's interests… because that's often where people go to express them. For example, if you see someone has the “photography” tag in their Yubo profile, why not ask them if they prefer film or digital photography. Or maybe someone is passionate about fitness, they might have a workout tip or two to share. The best part is that not only do you get the pleasure of getting to know someone and potentially learn new things, but you also get the chance to forge a new friendship. One of the biggest benefits to messaging is its convenience. You can send a message any time of the day or night and it will be there until the other person opens it. This is a huge advantage for international relationships. Bonus: Yubo makes finding people with similar interests easy by filtering swipes through tags, so go ahead and check it out.

Another great way to socialize online is through live streaming. This is the closest thing to socializing in real life, which can be pretty impactful. While texting is fun and convenient, actually speaking to someone else, especially if you can see their face, simply feels better. It’s more fulfilling and can lead to some truly amazing relationships. Whether you are forming a new one or maintaining one, livestream interactions are a great way to connect with other people. Yubo specializes in this with its Live feature. On Yubo you can hang out with your friends in a livestream or you can use this to meet new people, it is entirely up to you. There are smaller Lives, which are chiller hangouts with a few friends, and on the other end of the spectrum, there are large Lives which range from rants, debates, talent shows, dance parties, to just creating new friendships in creative ways and everything in between.

Because of this, at Yubo, we like to think of ourselves as a social social media platform.

When we think of social media we think of opening an app and seeing what other people are up to. We think of scrolling through a feed twice curated, once by the posters and twice by the platform, creating a certain mirage of lifestyles and depictions through various types of content. So, what if you want to actually use social media to socialize? Let's find out!

Social Social Media

It’s the New Year. And just as every New Year has started, everyone is thinking about their 2023 resolutions. In typical fashion, even though they had an entire year to work on these resolutions prior, no one did. So, instead, they say this will be my year and commit a few weeks of 2023 to these goals. After all, New Year, New Me. But, should it be? You’ve gotten this far on being you, so why change that? Instead focus on small changes to create a better life, rather than a new you. 

How to budget better? Well, we’re not here to discuss the 50/30/20 rule, recommend any investments or ridicule you for buying necessities. We’ll focus on the smaller aspects, and the more doable changes you can make now. 

Wait at least 24 hours before making a major or frivolous purchase. You’re scrolling through your favorite store’s webpage and see the perfect item. Would you even have considered buying it if it didn’t appear in front of you right now? That’s what the 24-hour rule is for. It’ll give you time to think about whether you really need that item or not. Maybe every time you wait 24 hours, you still decide to buy the item afterwards, and that’s fine! But, it will still help to remove buyer’s remorse and bring a little mindfulness into your consumption habits. 

On top of waiting 24 hours, make sure you also don’t give in just because something is trendy or cool right now. You’re watching your favorite influencer and they recommend a product, or maybe it’s the viral video of a singular piece of clothing that everyone must have. It’s easy to get distracted by all the shiny new things we see on social media daily, but remember, you don’t always need it. But, if even after 24 hours you still really want it, then live your life!

Sleep, as much as our high school teachers may not have thought so, is essential. Getting the proper amount of sleep each night can help you stay healthier physically and mentally. How can you improve your sleep? Start with these simple steps:

We know life can be hectic, and doesn't always go according to plan. But, every night when getting in bed, try to create a similar routine. Whether it’s your end-of-day skincare, a great book, or putting on some mellow music and turning the lights down, try to create a routine. Your routine will notify your brain each night that it’s time to go to bed. 

Avoid caffeine in the afternoon (and evening)

Whether it’s coffee, tea, soda, or any other form of caffeine, put all of it down at least 7 hours before you go to bed. Even if you may not be feeling the effects of your caffeine intake at the end of the night, studies have shown that it can still affect your sleep. 

The quicker you turn off your phone screen before bed, the faster your brain will be able to turn off for the night too. For some people, this may be part of your pre-bedtime routine. We’ve all lost time endlessly scrolling through 5 second videos, not understanding how those 5 seconds turned into over an hour of your night gone. So, if you aren’t able to put down your phone screen before the nighttime routine begins, at least put it down a tad earlier than you usually would. 

And now we’ve reached the typical New Year’s resolution of exercising more. But, as said before, this isn’t a resolutions article, this is for betterment and simply making small improvements to your similar lifestyle – not changing what you’re all about entirely. Exercise doesn’t have to be sweating it out in a gym or following a Youtuber’s workouts. It can simply be taking a walk outside or even a few circles in your room. Just move and get your blood flowing. 

Why is moving your body every day important? Movement can aid in reducing stress, helping you think more clearly, giving you more energy, better sleep and just all around a better feeling or mood. You don’t need to block large times out of your day to move. Just do what you can with what you’ve got and if you find yourself needing a break from the stresses of everyday life, take a walk. 

You’ve likely been hearing this from your parents since you were a child, but there actually are benefits to going outside. You can read more about the vast benefits and studies behind them here. But, to sum it up for you, the key benefits to taking some time outside include physical and mental wellness, such as reducing stress and muscle tension, and providing a relaxing element overall. 

While you’re outside, maybe take the opportunity to practice gratitude or positive affirmations, or even call a friend and check in on how they’re feeling about the new year. 

And of course, the ultimate betterment you can have this 2023, is to start making your newest best friends and meeting new and interesting people! Friendship, socializing, and having people you can lean on is important, and what better way to make those new connections than on Yubo? 

New Year, Same You (But Better)

It’s the new year. Time to trade out the hot chocolate for some sparkling cider, change out of your Christmas pajamas into those plastic 2023 glasses, and instead of spreading cheer, you’re focused on what’s in store for next year.

So, what will your New Year’s resolutions be this time around? That’s something you’ll have to figure out for yourself, but what we can help you with, is a few resolutions for how you’ll be spending your time on the Yubo App. Pour that cider, and find your Yubo horoscope below!

Gemini: Your Yubo resolution is to keep the same Yubo profile picture for at least 2 weeks. We get it. A new, better, and possibly more stylish photo comes along, but you keep throwing your friends a curve ball when they try to message you based on an ever-changing profile picture. Don’t stress over that pic as much, and instead just focus on having a great time on Yubo. 

Taurus: Your Yubo resolution is just to stay awake on the New Year’s live until the ball drops. Sure, you may not have made it the last few times, but just be sure to get a decent night of sleep the day before and have the coffee brewing by 9 PM. We believe in you, Taurus. But hey, no matter when you go to bed, it’ll be past midnight somewhere!

Cancer: Your Yubo resolution is just to keep having the best time on Yubo. You don’t necessarily want or need anything to change as per the typical resolutions go. You love how things are and you’re happy with the friends you have made and that’s totally okay. 

Aries: Your Yubo resolution is to swipe on Yubo less. We know that may sound a bit crazy, but you’re used to the impulsive swiping. Well, going forward, you want to make sure you’re only matching with those you’re actually interested in forming friendships with instead of swiping quickly to match with as many friends as you can. This new year is about you and prioritizing quality over quantity. 

Leo: Your Yubo resolution is to create the next great Yubo game. You love hosting game Lives, but you want to go bigger for 2023. Will it be a mimicry of charades, talent competitions, guessing games, or a mixture of every gaming component ever? We’ll be looking forward to finding out! 

Virgo: Your Yubo resolution is to collect every single Pixel. This has been an ongoing goal of yours and absolutely nothing has changed given the new year. However, if someone were to ask you for your resolution, this is the most likely one you’ll follow through with. And don’t worry, we’ll ensure the 2023 Pixels are the coolest yet! 

Libra: Your Yubo resolution is to find more Live groups. Your current friends you go Live with every week may be awesome (ok, they’re definitely awesome), but you also want to find some new groups for the days those friends aren’t online. Whether it’s through Live hopping, swiping, or the spotlight feature, you’ll be finding that perfect new addition to your Yubo life. 

Scorpio: Your Yubo resolution is to message at least 20 people every month. You’ve  gotten too comfortable with not interacting with others this past year and you’re ready to let your extroverted inner-self shine. It’s not just one-liners either, you’re aiming for full-on conversations. 

Sagittarius: Your Yubo resolution is to host more game Lives. You’ve never shied away from being on camera, but you’ve never led the Live. Now’s your chance to take a risk and put yourself out there. Maybe you’ll love hosting or maybe you’ll love those moments you create with your new friends. Believe in yourself! 

Capricorn: Your Yubo resolution is to make at least one new friend every day. Whether this requires 50 friend requests, 30 Lives, or 100 messages, you’re determined to find those friends this year. You’ve already met a lot of amazing people on Yubo, but keep pushing yourself and putting yourself out there. 

Pisces: Your Yubo resolution is to maintain the same Yubo Live group for the entire year. Schedules change and people get busy, but you want to make sure you and your friends are staying together in 2023. Every group needs a self-appointed leader to act as the glue, and a Pisces is perfect for the job. 

Aquarius: Your Yubo resolution is to find a new best friend! Yes, that may seem a tad bit basic, but it’s time to open up more to others. You may have a habit of being reclusive, but for this next year, you’ll try to focus on creating genuine connections that go deeper than the surface. 

On behalf of the Yubo Team, we wish you all a very happy New Year!

It’s the new year. Time to trade out the hot chocolate for some sparkling cider, change out of your Christmas pajamas into those plastic 2023 glasses, and instead of spreading cheer, you’re focused on what’s in store for next year.
So, what will your New Year’s resolutions be this time around? That’s something you’ll have to figure out for yourself, but what we can help you with, is a few resolutions for how you’ll be spending your time on the Yubo App. Pour that cider, and find your Yubo horoscope!

Yubo Horoscope: New Years Resolutions

Around holiday time, everyone everywhere gets totally crazed and wrapped up gift-giving (no pun intended). And most often, people are focused on what they want to receive, rather than what they want to give. While of course, it’s fun picking up some gifts for family and friends if you have the ability to, but what about your community? Another place that gives to you every day. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways you can give back to your community and make a positive impact this year and every other holiday season.

Have you ever been having a mediocre day that was turned around by sharing a quick, but warm, interaction with someone else? Maybe someone held the door open for you? Or maybe you ran into an old friend? Perhaps the barista giving you your coffee was just extra bubbly and chatty that day? Or you happened to share a funny moment with a friendly stranger? Chances are that you cracked a smile and that small interaction made your day at least a little bit better. Sharing good news is always a great thing. Good news does not mean bragging, it just means sharing good energy with the people you interact with. After all, smiles are contagious too.

What better way to give back to your community than to volunteer your time towards it! Every community has its own needs and initiatives. For example, if you live in a beach town or near a huge lake, you likely have beach clean-ups. If you live in a city, there are often soup kitchens or food banks. It can actually be quite interesting to look into your local volunteer initiatives. And in every community there are shelters for those in need that you can volunteer at or kids you can help to tutor or mentor for example. These places can always use an extra hand.

Regardless of the belief that vampires do indeed exist and run blood donation organizations worldwide (kidding), most of the blood that is donated at blood drives actually makes it to the people in need. Blood drives are extremely important, because, as you can imagine, clean and healthy blood is always in demand and by donating blood you can save another person’s life. It does not hurt and is actually healthy for you to donate blood (if you are able to) because it allows your body to replenish itself by creating fresh blood! Donating blood helps keep you and your community healthy! Plus, there are always free cookies and juice – what more could you ask for.

This may seem like a given, but it is one of the most accessible ways to improve our planet’s health and is also one of the world's greatest shortcomings. For example, only 5% to 6% of all recyclables in the United States actually get recycled. The rest gets mixed in with the trash, which helps nobody. Most people do what is actually called “wishcycling.” Wishcycling is when we just throw all the plastics, cans, cupboards, papers, anything that seems recyclable in one recycling bin. Each state (and country) has its own recycling laws, procedures, and facilities that allow them to properly sort and recycle our materials. By properly recycling, not only are you helping the planet, but you are also helping out your local garbage.

We grew up being told not to talk to strangers, but they didn’t mean forever. Actually meeting and hanging out with other members of your community can be a really positive experience for everyone involved. We as humans are social beings and we value the relationships we create. In fact, it brings us and others joy and is an essential part of creating a healthy community. It is easy to talk to your internet friends all day long, but making the effort to talk to the people you’re surrounded by everyday is important too!

One of the easiest ways to do this is to help pick up litter from your neighborhood or surrounding areas. Having a litter-free community is good for your local wildlife, even if they are city rats and pigeons. Trash ends up causing a lot of harm to nature and if it's not picked up, it usually finds its way to a sewer (which leads to an ocean) or to the land. While those are all physical downsides of litter, it also tends to affect people's perceptions of the community. By putting in a little bit of effort to keep your community as clean and healthy as possible, it raises everyone's pride in the area and can help keep morale high. It is always recommended to wear gloves or use those fun stick arms if you really want to get fancy.

If you have the capabilities, donating money can be very helpful to keep certain foundations and organizations functioning. It always feels best to donate to a cause you care about, so just follow your heart. Of course you can donate things other than money! For one, you can donate your time (volunteering) which is priceless. Oftentimes, you can donate food, clothes, books, anything really! The best way to go about this is to simply Google it or to check your local Facebook page.

Of course, only do what you are capable of doing and what is safe for you. Anything is appreciated. The holidays are all about giving and spreading kindness. So please, get involved however is best for you!

Give Back to Your Community This Holiday Season

The countdown to the end of the year has officially begun and it's time for a 2022 recap!

We recently published a recap of all the 2022 product updates and our Yubo 2022 Wrapped (seriously, we still don't know why you choose to sleep in Lives). What can we say, we love recaps! In fact, if you haven't read them yet, check them out if you want to know what were the new features this year or to see if your favourite Live title was in the 2022 Top 5. 

So why a new recap you might ask? Because this one is a bit special. This time we’re taking you behind the scenes of Yubo. Every year, our teams design incredible new features to make your experience on Yubo unforgettable and, above all else, as safe as possible. 

But that's just the tip of the iceberg. We also have collaborated with some incredible organizations to support our users, help make Yubo what it is today and stand up for what we believe in. We know that by collaborating with important players across the industry, whether that’s other social networks, companies or NGOs, we will manage to create a truly safe online space.

So as the year comes to a close, we'd like to draw attention to all those amazing partners who have been with us in 2022 and helped us in our mission. You may have even seen them while swiping during one of our in-app campaigns!

Each year, Yubo participates in a number of events, but Safer Internet Day will always have a particularly prominent place, as it has become the landmark event when it comes to online safety. 

Every year since 2004, Insafe has organized Safer Internet Day. The aim of this day is to raise awareness among the youngest (and the oldest – everyone is concerned!) about the dangers of the internet and how to encourage responsible use. The internet is a valuable tool that can help you find your favorite bubble tea recipe, laugh until you’re literally gasping for air over a TikTok or even that niche meme that only resonates with you and your friends (yes, it does exist... no judgment here), but it is important to be armed with knowledge of the risks that you could encounter online too.

What did Yubo do for Safer Internet Day 2022?

For the third year in a row, Yubo has actively participated in Safer Internet Day. We believe that we have a responsibility to support our users in their use of the internet and to provide them with the right tools to identify potential harms or threats. 

The theme of the 19th Safer Internet Day in 2022 was "All fun and games? Exploring respect and relationships online." Yubo called on two of its long-standing partners to bring the right message to its users. Alongside Thorn (a US-based NGO that builds technology to defend children and young people from sexual abuse), Yubo shared their NoFiltr campaign with its US, UK and Canadian communities. This campaign included importants tips on what to do if you are a victim or a witness of online grooming, or if you need to reach out . If Yubo users have any concerns about their online safety, they can contact our safety team directly by tapping the shield icon then 'Report' in the Yubo app or text NOFILTR to 741741 (for US users). The aim was to remind users that they have tools that can help and protect them in these types of situations and that they should not hesitate to use these as a resource. 

A second campaign was shared with the French Yubo community, this time in partnership with 3018 e-Enfance. Yubo and e-Enfance have a long history of collaboration (you’ll learn more on that below) and Yubo wanted to be sure its users were aware of the new app E-Enfrance launched that allows people who are victims or witnesses of online violence (harassment, hate speech, sexual harassment) to report it, find resources to support them and safely protect their evidence. 

These campaigns have been seen by almost one million users across 4 different countries. You can already count on us to participate in the 20th edition of Safer Internet Day, which will take place on February 7, 2023.

Stiftelsen Friends – also known as Friends – is a Swedish organization that is very involved in the fight against online bullying. They work to prevent bullying by developing resources for adults and young people, and by collaborating with hundreds of schools, pre-schools and sports-clubs in Sweden.

How did Yubo and Friends work together? 

The Nordic countries represent a large part of the Yubo community (if you've never spoken to them and would like to, don't hesitate to filter your lives by country to meet them). In November 2021, we shared a survey with the Swedish community to understand how to best support them when they are faced with bullying. Following this survey, Friends decided to publish the results of this study (and dozens of others by schools, leisure centres and sports clubs in Sweden) in May. They shared the results with all of its partners, which included important pieces of advice and some good practices they had drawn from it. We decided to share this information with our community on Yubo as well to make sure that Yubo users would have all the tools to handle or report problems around bullying.

Where does National Bullying Prevention Month come from?

Since October 2006, PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center, along with the National Education Association, National PTA, American Federation for Teachers, and the National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education have been organizing events, trainings, and activities during this specific month. The goal is to raise awareness among adults and children of the harms caused by bullying and to encourage them to stand up for each other. October is spent highlighting this problem that is more prevalent than ever before so that bullying can be addressed through education and support.

Who did Yubo decide to work with for National Bullying Prevention Month 2022?

At Yubo, protecting our users has always been a priority and bullying is not a behaviour that is tolerated on our platform. For National Bullying Prevention Month, we collaborated with the Diana Award, a UK-based NGO known for its commitment to anti-bullying, to drive awareness of the impacts of bullying both on and offline. Our US, UK, Australian and Canadian communities were able to swipe through tips and information by the Diana Award on how to protect themselves from bullies in order to have the best online experience. 

The collaboration between Yubo and the Diana Award is an initiative that we repeat year after year to ensure that the best up to date resources are shared with our users. However, this is not a one-shot campaign, we are fortunate to have Alex Holmes, Deputy CEO at the Diana Award, who works with us closely and advises us throughout the year on how best to tackle these issues. 

In France, we also collaborated with 3018 e-Enfance to promote their application, which allows anyone who is a victim or witness of bullying to take action.

3018 e-Enfance: a partner present all year round

What is special about the partnership with 3018 e-Enfance?

At Yubo, we want our commitment to be comprehensive and not limited to one awareness campaign per year during one specific month – bullying is an everyday problem. 

Yubo users can contact our Safety Specialists at any time to report any bullying or harassment and can now add up to 4 media to their report to give our team more context. However, these situations can weigh heavily on a young person’s mind, so since 2019 Yubo and 3018 e-Enfance have worked together in a unique partnership. In order to support young people who are victims of harassment or who are in psychological distress, users who report any form of harassment or suicidal behaviour are offered to be connected directly with a member of the Net Ecoute service (the free, confidential and anonymous hotline operated by e-Enfance) who will provide the support through a free chat or a call.

Creating a safer internet with the French Laboratory for Online Child Protection

What is the French Laboratory for Online Child Protection?

Last December, Yubo signed the Charter of the Laboratory for the Protection of Children Online set up by the French government. Initiated at the Paris Peace Forum and supported by the French President, this lab is intended to respond to the growing exposure of minors to pornography, harassment and violence online. 

The objective is to create a mutual dialogue between NGOs, companies and researchers to freely share their knowledge, best practices and expertise when it comes to protecting children online. The hope is that this will help the industry to develop new initiatives and continue to build on those that already exist to ensure more effective child protection. 

Alongside tech leaders such as Google, Meta, TikTok and NGOs specialized in child protection online, Yubo will participate in a think-tank to identify ways to regulate and better protect children online.

To this end, Yubo will participate in the Laboratory's research activities, taking part in the identification, selection and evaluation processes. Above all, Yubo is committed to taking into account the results of the Laboratory's experiments in the development of its safety strategy.

This collaboration is still in its infancy and we will surely have more information to share in the coming months. Follow us on LinkedIn to find out about our partnerships (it doesn't sound very cool, but you could be informed in advance about the next campaign on the app!).

This year 2022 has been rich in new or renewed partnerships. The organizations we work with are valuable allies and advisors in the implementation of tools, best practices and features on Yubo. We are fortunate to be able to count on their expertise and to work in tandem with them to make Yubo as safe as possible.

The countdown to the end of the year has officially begun and it's time for a 2022 recap! Join Yubo to find out about all the campaigns and collaborations with NGOs this year. They help make us make Yubo what it is today and stand up for what we believe in.

Yubo's 2022 NGO Partnerships Recap

As a teenager, the future can be the most daunting part of your life. Not just what you’re mom will be making for dinner, or if that one person will text you back or not. But, the big stuff. Where or if you’ll go to college. Whether you’ll live in a mansion, apartment, shack or house. Who will be in that future home with you, if anyone? What kind of job and financial status will you have? And of course, is there a possibility of a good future for you and will you be happy? 

Gen Z, along with the rest of the generations, has had a tough few years facing the crashing job market, rising home costs, and utter isolation. But, they’re fighting history all over again. The global pandemic virtually erased some of their best and most developmental school years. And it’s worth mentioning that with the rise of social media, they’re the first generation to have such extensive first-hand witnesses of the hate occuring around the world. They’ve also seen the leaders of their countries lose their honor and costing this generation any trust they had in these types of positions. Given all this, how can Gen Z stay hopeful for their future?

Well, in a survey by Yubo of over seven thousand 13-25 year olds, it turns out that a majority of Yubo’s Gen Z users are in fact, optimistic about their future. Let’s break that down. 

How does Gen Z view their financial future?

In 1980, the typical cost of a home in the US was $47,200. In the year 2,000, this number was $119,600. Given inflation rates of 2022, those amounts roughly equal to $170K and $205K, respectively. Today, the median home sales price is $428,700. It’s more difficult for a Gen Zer to buy a home than it was for their parents and their parent’s parents. Despite this, 93% of Yubo users surveyed in the US believe they will be able to afford to buy a home or an apartment in the future. The numbers may be against them, but Gen Z believes in their future. 

These sentiments are shared by our UK and France survey takers as well, despite those regions, along with the US, having some of the highest costs of living in the world. 

With nearly half of Gen Zers out of high school and facing real-world costs or looking to university, many have felt the impact of inflation. In Yubo’s survey, 80% of US users polled responded that inflation has personally affected them. In comparison, 69% of those in France and 75% of those in the UK answered they too felt the negative impacts of inflation. 

And then there’s one of the next greatest financial and future forming decisions to make at a young age: higher education. In the poll, only 36% of surveyors felt that a college degree is necessary to “be successful and achieve the life [they] want.” With college degrees typically taking 4 years at an average cost of $35,551 per year in the US, it’s no surprise that many would not want to use the time or money to receive a college degree. Interestingly, older Gen Z users between the ages of 20 and 25 were more likely to say college degrees were necessary, as compared to surveyors under 20. 

Growing up with social media, Gen Z is used to forming friendships online and using social media as a tool for authentic interaction and socializing. They also found this incredibly helpful as they had to adapt to the time they spent in isolation during the pandemic years. In Yubo’s poll, 75% of US users said they made a close friend online. 59% of surveyors said they feel more comfortable making friends online rather than in person. As Yubo is a social discovery platform designed to bring people together from all around the world, it’s no surprise our users would have such high views of online friends. But, this still shows the potential of online friendships and how Gen Z is not as limited in their social lives as previous generations may have been without the option of social media. 

Gen Z has been making their voices heard in the political realm, even with most not being old enough to run for office. In the 2022 midterm elections, Gen Z are even credited with determining results in battleground states. Gen Z’s loud emergence into American politics is likely due to the fact that they want to see change. 53% of US survey respondents said they don’t trust their government leaders to look out for their best interest. 

With 76% of surveyors saying social justice movements are important to them and 81% of respondents naming climate change as a pressing issue, it’s clear Gen Z has a connected vision of what they wish their future to be and what they wish their future leaders would fight for. It may be a surprise that the majority of Gen Z survey respondents were hopeful about their future, but that’s likely because Gen Z will never give up on the future they wish to achieve. 

As a teenager, the future can be the most daunting part of your life. Not just what you’re mom will be making for dinner or if that one person will text you back or not. But, the big stuff. Where or if you’ll go to college. Whether you’ll live in a mansion, apartment, shack or house. And of course, is there a possibility of a good future for you and will you be happy? Well, in a survey by Yubo of over seven thousand 13-25-year-olds, it turns out that a majority of Yubo’s Gen Z users are optimistic about their future. Let’s break that down. 

Gen Z's View on Their Future

Making friends can be tricky. Even just interacting with others can be stressful for some. Have you ever finished a conversation with someone  only to replay every second of that conversation over and over in your head afterwards? Or maybe even during the conversation itself, you start overthinking every word you’re saying, taking your mind away from the conversation and leaving you unable to enjoy your time with the person you’re talking to? 

Well, here are some helpful tips for what to avoid doing and what you can do instead to have a successful conversation that you won’t need to rethink later on.

It’s important to show people you care about their life, or at least what they’re talking about, but when it starts turning into you asking question after question after question without you offering anything in return, it might start to feel more like an interview than a conversation.

What to do instead: It is still important to ask questions, but in between their answers add in your own anecdotes, ways in which you can relate or a time when you experienced something similar. After all, the person you’re talking too probably wants to learn about you too.  Instead of asking where they were born, what their parents do, what their dreams are, what’s the answer for that security question on some website without giving them all but two seconds to take a breath between answers, make sure you give them the chance to ask you questions and answer them as well. 

So, don’t ask too many questions, but also don’t talk too much? We’re not quite saying that. Avoid feeling pressured to fill every second of the conversation with interesting facts about yourself or your family’s history, what you ate today, how the weather is, or anything else that comes to your mind. People want to gain an understanding or your personality and your vibes, but you want to give the other person a chance to speak too so you can learn about their personality and their vibes. If the vibe is only talking about yourself and never allowing the other person to equally share, well, then it’s not vibing.

Instead, make sure you’re giving them the opportunity to add in their own interesting tidbits as well. And if they’re the type that doesn’t freely offer their own information, try to encourage them to share as well. Make it clear you want to know more about them, and you’re not just asking over pleasantries. 

While it’s important to share common experiences and relate to those you're talking to, be careful not to one up the other person. For example:

Potential Friend #1: “I had a horrible day yesterday.”

You: “Me too, my day was probably even worse. My fish died.”

Potential Friend #2: “I got tickets to this singer!”

You: “Cool! Oh, you’re sitting back there, I went yesterday and was just inches away from them!”

Potential Friend #3: “I’m so tired.”

You: “Me too, I stayed up really late feeding the homeless. You?”

We’ve all unintentionally done this – tried relating to them and instead ended up one-upping them intentionally. It’s okay to make that mistake, but if you keep doing it over and over, well, that person may not want to share any more information with you, and it could cost you the friendship, if there ever was one, right there. 

Let’s replay the previous conversations, but with some better answers. 

You: “I’m so sorry, do you want to talk about it?”

You: “You’ll have a great time! I saw them recently, and they were awesome.”

You: “Me too. What’d you do last night?”

This is not saying to avoid sharing your stories, but instead, be mindful of how you share them and how what you’re saying might make the other person feel. Don’t immediately discredit whatever your friend or potential friend shares with you. Let them speak, listen to them, make them feel heard, and then open it up to sharing your own stories. 

If you’re talking to someone, focus on them. Don’t do other things on your phone (unless your mom calls, that’s the only pass), take out your fidget spinner, or even a book. When you’re doing this, you’re telling them that the conversation with them is not as important as whatever else you are doing, that you need a distraction whenever you’re talking with them, or that they’re not good enough for your time.

Keep distractions on your photo to a minimum and try to avoid opening other apps or having other side conversations at the same time (again, unless it’s your mom, of course). Try your best to stay in the moment and show the other person that you’re interested in the conversation you’re having with them. 

While there’s many more “rules” that could be said, these are some common behaviors to be aware of. But, most importantly, don’t fret too much over it. Just be aware of what you say and of how you treat others. There’s no perfect strategy to creating or maintaining friendships, but caring is always the best place to start. 

Avoid Doing This To Make Friends

Oh, the holidays… full of joy, gifts, family reunions, tall tales, and quirky traditions. Before November is even over, stores begin to fill their shelves with Christmas-themed decorations overflowing with green and red ornaments, decor and trinkets. Whether or not you actually celebrate Christmas, you see it everywhere, and there is no escaping. While the first signs of Christmas can be exciting at the beginning, it can easily become too much. There are only so many times you want to hear Ariana Grande sing “Tell Me Santa”, and only so many Coca-Cola advertisement variations you can watch until they have the opposite effect. Perhaps you don’t even celebrate Christmas, maybe you celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus (for the rest of us), or have your own holiday tradition you follow. Whatever the case may be, the end of December is something some people look forward to, but for others, it can be a difficult or even lonely time.

Maybe you’re dreading that inevitable family photo coming up right when your face just broke out, and you are struggling with your confidence. Or maybe you are scared of getting stuck sitting next to your crazy aunt who kind of smells and won’t stop talking the entire dinner. Or perhaps you made a lot of personal growth in a certain direction that your family might not agree with. Maybe there is some bad blood that will likely unravel at dinner. Or did you make certain diet changes, like going vegan and already mentally preparing to explain to your grandparents how you are not malnourished? There is an endless list of real anxieties, big or small, people may feel leading up to the holidays. 

Contrary to how so many people feel, the holidays are always represented in an idealistic way – where a big, happy family comes together around a warm fireplace and a beautifully decorated tree to laugh together as they open presents. This image of the holidays can make you feel pressure for your Christmas to live up to an impossible standard when actually it’s completely unrealistic (and also shot in a movie studio). Many people even spend the holidays alone or working. Maybe they moved somewhere new, are the last of their family, are in a transitional period in life, or whatever their unique story might be; they might have to spend the holidays alone or just with their pets, even when deep down they would prefer not to. If you have the space and resources, and you know someone who might be spending the holidays alone this year, even just asking if they would want to spend it with you could really cheer up the holidays. The small act of extending an invitation can go a long way, after all, they can always say no.

Over time it seems that the holidays have made many people lose sight of what they are truly about. It has turned into a materialistic holiday that revolves around buying presents for others (and realistically yourself too). There are deals after deals after deals, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, end-of-the-year sales, you name it. It is important to remember that everyone comes from different circumstances. What is a lot for some is a little for others. It can absolutely be hard not to get a little jealous of the ridiculous gifts others might get. Especially with the internet, everyone is showing off the cool things they got, and there can be stark differences in the holiday gifts one person receives compared to another. Some get brand-new cars completely paid off, others might get an avocado (you remember the video). It can feel unfair, but that's when it’s important to look at the meaning behind the gift. Everyone is in drastically different financial situations with different financial responsibilities to uphold. So remember, it is not really about the gift itself, it's about the fact that someone went out of their way to give you something they think you would like, whether it is bought or made by hand with love. The action and intention itself is what is truly special. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind for the holidays is: you should only look at what others have to make sure they have enough. That is what the holidays are really about. Spreading cheer and being kind to one another.

It is truly that simple. We just tend to forget it because of all the holiday madness that goes on. Whatever stressors you have on your plate, just know it will be okay, it might even turn out to be fun! And remember, you never know what other people have going on, so please, be extra loving this holiday season. So whatever you are celebrating, the Yubo team wishes you a happy holiday season!

Oh the holidays… full of joy, gifts, family reunions, tall tales, and quirky traditions. Before November is even over, stores begin to fill their shelves with Christmas themed decorations overflowing with green and red ornaments, decor and trinkets. Whether or not you actually celebrate Christmas, you see it everywhere and there is no escaping. While the first signs of Christmas can be exciting at the beginning, it can easily become too much. Whatever the case may be, the end of December is something some people look forward to, but for others it can be a difficult or even lonely time.

Don't Let This Holiday Season Bring You Down

The bromance. A term used to describe two men in a close friendship. It’s a beloved and popular word, used frequently in our society. But, why do we feel such a need to use such a word to describe a male friendship? Why can’t male friendships just be friendships? The assumed need of a unique term to describe the male friendship phenomenon is in itself something to consider. 

You’re probably familiar with the “bromance.” If not, it’s defined (by actual dictionary publishers) as “a close nonsexual friendship between men.” It’s also a mixture of “brother” and “romance,” despite having no romantic intent. Bromance would be used to describe the friendship between those like Joey Tribbiani and Chandler Bing (Friends), Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee (The Lord of The Rings), and of course, Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne (Dumb and Dumber). It’s that ultimate friendship between men other people might strive to have, or, just love watching unfold. 

While you may hear bromance used more frequently while discussing famous actor pairings or fictional characters, these definitions of what a male friendship should look like affects real life as well. Boys and men alike feel as if they can’t form those close friendships due to what others may think of them. In a 2021 poll by The Survey Center on American Life, it was revealed that American men who deem themselves to have “no close friends” have gone from 3% in 1990 to 15% in 2021. While that may seem like a small percentage, a quintuple increase is a significant indication of the issues that might be plaguing male friendship. 

Bromance had its first national appearance in the 1990s thanks to Dave Carnie, editor of the defunct American skateboarding magazine, Big Brother. He used this word to describe skateboarding friends who would have to spend a lot of time traveling and boarding together. Since then, the idea of needing to describe a male friendship as a Bromance grew in popularity thanks to movies like Superbad (2007) and I love You, Man (2009). Both these movies focused on extremely close male friendships who eventually both said, (unsurprisingly) “I love you” to each other. While connecting emotionally to each other should have been a heralded breakthrough, it instead was the punchline of a comedy movie. As displayed by Hollywood, men can’t just share their emotions freely. It always needs to be something to laugh at, and that’s a key problem of the term, bromance. 

But, why is bromance even used in the first place?

Simply put, we use the term “bromance” because of the societal pressures on men when it comes to emotions and relationships. There is no such thing as a “sismance” – or when two girls are close friends – that’s just called friendship. When a girl and a boy are friends, it’s still just friendship. But, when two boys are friends, that’s when it’s no longer a friendship and instead becomes referred to as a bromance. While it seems like just a comedic title for a friendship, there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes. Referring to male friendships as “bromances” has an impact. 

How does using “bromance” limit male friendships?

If men were to share their emotions with fellow friends, they’d be seen as unmasculine. If men were to hug or show physical signs of affection for each other, they’d be referred to as a couple. It was so outlandish in the early 2000s media that two men could be affectionately physical with each other that Friends dedicated an entire episode to men napping together and the connotations involved with that. 

As children, boys can freely experience the emotions they encounter. But, as they get older, they’re discouraged from sharing those feelings with one another. They are conditioned to connect with each other over stereotypically “masculine” activities like watching or playing sports instead of actually talking to each other about their days, how they feel, issues they’re facing or what the latest is in their lives. In 2019, Movember polled over 4,000 men across the world about the pressures to “man up.” The study found that 77% of men polled believe talking is an effective way to deal with problems, while 76% of those polled believed that talking openly can provide a positive impact on their mental health. Despite those answers, 38% of men said they avoided discussing their feelings with one another so as to not appear unmasculine. And 21% said they just do not have anyone to talk about their problems with or would rather avoid doing so.

Friendship is an essential part of life, regardless of gender, and we should all be encouraging friendships no matter who they’re with or what they look like.

The bromance. A term used to describe two men in a close friendship. It’s a beloved and popular word, used frequently in our society. But, why do we feel such a need to use such a word to describe a male friendship? Why can’t male friendships just be friendships? The assumed need of a unique term to describe the male friendship phenomenon is in itself something to consider.

Why do we use the term, bromance?

2022 has been an amazing roller coaster for Yubo, a year full of challenges but more importantly, full of big achievements. The app has evolved significantly, releasing new updates and features with three main focuses: making the app safer than ever before, creating tailored exclusive features for users to find friends more easily, and finally, diversifying our user experience on livestreams.

We updated our reporting system. Although our reporting process has always been simple and accessible for our users in allowing them to communicate concerns about suspicious or harmful behaviors, user profiles or situations they experience on the app, we have improved the tool further to make it more effective for our Safety Specialists. This enables Yubo’s safety team to address any issues that are flagged by our users and take appropriate actions much faster than ever before. 

Users are now able to share more information and submit a longer message explaining any troubles they are facing on the app. Users can also now add up to four media files to their reports in order to provide our Safety Specialists with more context and help them to better understand the problem.

Our users’ safety is our number one concern, and it is important to Yubo that every user has sufficient agency to acknowledge how they are feeling and report any profiles or behaviors that are harmful or make them uncomfortable. 

We introduced a new age verification system in partnership with digital identity provider Yoti. Thanks to this new feature, Yubo has officially become the first social media platform to age-verify 100% of its users all over the world, with all users successfully verified in less than 3 months. With comprehensive age verification, Yubo can help ensure that everyone on the app is the age they say they are and give users confidence in who they are interacting with online. It also helps to prevent fake profiles, bots and people with bad intentions from accessing the platform, and to ensure users are socializing with others in their similar age group with a higher level of accuracy.

Making Yubo as safe an environment as possible where users feel empowered to interact online is of key importance to Yubo. This is why we give our users control of who they decide to and also why we allow them to block or report any users they are having problems with. 

We developed an audio moderation technology for livestreams, released for our English-speaking users in the US, UK, Australia and Canada. In partnership with Hive, a new machine learning AI was released that tackles challenges of real-time audio analysis. The AI records and automatically transcribes 10-second snippets of audio in livestreams of 10 or more people. The text is scanned by the algorithm instantly and only transcripts containing words or phrases that violate Yubo’s Community Guidelines are flagged for review by Yubo’s safety specialists. Transcripts with no suspected violations are not reviewed nor kept. As this technology continues to improve, it will help Yubo detect hate speech, bullying and harassment, violence and self-harm. 

We created an “Elite Pack” that our users can purchase for access to exclusive new features. This pack is an extension of the “Power Pack,”it  which provides users with unlimited swipes, a boost (to maximize the visibility of your lives), a turbo (to make your profile more visible in swipes) and a spotlight (to highlight your profile by putting it at the top of other users screens) each week. On top of that, with the “Elite Pack”, users are now able to send DMs to other users before they become friends, appear first in swipes for anyone they like and have access to their swipe history.

NEW to Yubo: Elite Power Pack

We expanded our “Pixels” collections, with more than 313 pixels released this year. Launched in 2021, Pixels are collectible digital art representing characters, emotions or personalities that users can purchase within the app. Users can collect as many Pixels as they’d like to add on their profile or send as a gift to their friends. Each new collection is created in collaboration with artists from all over the world – from Ulises Mendicutty’s futurist pink portraits, Velvet Kid’s anime-inspired creations to Lili Bellons’ watercolor illustrations, this year has been rich in creation for Yubo. 

All of these paid features allow our users to personalize their profiles and diversify their app experience. Yubo plans to continue providing its users with valuable and creative offerings with amazing new partnerships to be revealed soon. 

We revamped our live feed. In order for our users to have a more tailored experience from a content perspective, our new feed has been designed this year to adapt to each specific user. The feed now takes into account what a user likes, who they are friends with or what they are looking for on Yubo. The layout has been redesigned, segmented into categories of interests scrollable horizontally, all while still being able to browse the next categories vertically.

The Lives with your friends are also now prioritized on the feed to help our users continue to build strong friendships by, for instance, participating in recurrent lives with people that share similar interests, passions or cultures.

We recently released new interactive lenses, available using Snap’s Camera Kit tool. In addition to more than 30 filters already integrated on the app, our users now have the possibility to play games and challenge their friends through interactive, exclusive and fun lenses. For example, Yubo recently introduced a filter game called “Pixel Muncher,” where the goal is to catch as many falling Pixels on the screen as possible with your opened mouth on camera. The biggest scorers win! In “Fish Frenzy,” you have to take your fish as far as possible by opening your mouth to make him swim slower or faster while avoiding obstacles in your way. The longer you hold, the higher your score will be. 

We’ve moved forward in integrating more product features and updates on Android. It’s now possible for our Android users to screenshare content during their Live, making the experience more engaging and participative. This has been highly requested by our users for a while as it allows them to share pictures, videos, music or any other content they want their new friends to relate to or experience with them. 

The new Live feed has also been implemented on Android, and iterations are still running to adapt the initial version to users’ needs and preferences. Early 2023, we will also integrate the YouTube player, already available on iOS, as a new exciting feature for our Android audience. 

Yubo's Take

Here for all of it.