Nothing like a Virtual Hug.
Have you ever read someone’s post on social media and thought, “How do I even react to this?” For example, say a friend said their dog died, and they were really upset. It does not seem appropriate to like the post, but it also does not seem appropriate to dislike the post. You become stuck and begin to overthink. Then, you keep scrolling to avoid interaction.
Well, scroll no more because Facebook has created a new reaction — a hug. It is the perfect way to show your friends that you are by their side in this messy thing called life.
This hug reaction will not only impact friends but also business pages. This new reaction will allow followers of businesses to react to their content in a more personal way. For example, if 4ocean posts about a pelican that ingests plastic from the ocean but survives, followers can now send a hug the pelican and organization’s way. Or if Nike posts an inspiring story of someone’s life, people can now react with a hug. Sure, this is a virtual hug, but this is the most personal Facebook has ever been able to achieve, regarding reactions. It is more than a like or heart. It means people cared, understood the sentiment of the post, and sent love their way in the form of a virtual hug. It has the potential to create deeper and more intimate connections between businesses and their followers. It also has the potential to attract more engagement because when people see the hug reaction, they might be more interested to see what the post is all about.
The hug reaction might seem inadequate to a physical hug, but we will give what we can give virtually. Who knows what kind of an impact a Facebook hug reaction could have on someone having a tough day. We will support our friends in the little ways because those begin to add up to something significant.
The virtual hug shows support. It shows compassion. It shows love and solidarity. Most importantly, it shows friendship and isn’t that what social media was originally made for?
See more about the Facebook Hug:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2020/04/17/facebooks-new-hug-icon-comes-just-in-time/#a12d8220b6b0
