Reactions
Facebook starts testing “reactions,” which extend the site’s “like button” functions with new options : Love, Haha, Yay, Wow, Sad and Angry. Keeping with Zuckerberg’s wishes, there is no “Dislike” button. The test is currently limited to users in Ireland and Spain. Zuckerberg:
For many years though, people have asked us to add a “dislike” button. Not every moment is a good moment, and sometimes you just want a way to express empathy. These are important moments where you need the power to share more than ever, and a Like might not be the best way to express yourself. Reactions gives you new ways to express love, awe, humor and sadness. It’s not a dislike button, but it does give you the power to easily express sorrow and empathy — in addition to delight and warmth.
Feeling Fat status removed
The Company removes the “feeling fat” emoticon from its status menu after the group Endangered Bodies launched multiple Change.org petitions to persuade Facebook to remove the puffed-up and rosy cheeked image. The group says the option is problematic for people who struggle with eating disorders. Facebook:
We’ve heard from our community that listing ‘feeling fat’ as an option for status updates could reinforce negative body image, particularly for people struggling with eating disorders. So we’re going to remove ‘feeling fat’ from the list of options. We’ll continue to listen to feedback as we think about ways to help people express themselves on Facebook.
Catherine Weingarten, a 24-year-old Ohio student who launched the U.S. petition:
As someone who struggled with body image, I feel so happy that I am eliminating one form of body shaming hatred on the internet.