A study by Agora reveals that 87% of all Gen Z individuals use applications which have a live video feature in their interface.
Now, this study can be interpreted in two separate ways. The first is that Gen Z is downloading more and more apps with live videos in them. The other interpretation is that more and more applications are incorporating live video, regardless of the generation's response. The most accurate interpretation, or so this author believes, involves both of them. Much like an ouroboros swallowing it's own tongue, one begets the other. But let's not complicate matters any further. Instead, let's take a look at live video and see how far its come.
Live video's been a popular form of communication since the 2010s, with applications such as Skype being majorly responsible for the hype. They're an easy and even better way of communication, allowing users to see each other despite being miles apart. The incorporation of live video into streaming platforms is what would change the game, however. With platforms such as Twitch, live video soon became a tool for entertainment purposes, not just familial bonding. The world of video gaming Let's Plays got a lot of attention due to this as well. Soon enough, any number of vocations and hobbies found their own niche communities due to live streaming.
Live video as a form of communication didn't go away, however. Soon, applications such as WhatsApp incorporated the technology, pushing Skype just a bit into the background. The near overnight popularity of Zoom did so even more, and globally popularized the usage of live video as a more communal form of communication. Apps such as FaceTime started being used more commonly by younger individuals in order to communicate with each other. Apps such as Instagram and Facebook also have incorporated live video chat into their interface.
The study conducted by Agora, a real-time voice and video engagement firm, pulled over a thousand Gen Z individual from the USA, asking them if they used mobile apps with interactive live video features. 87% of the sample population said yes. This only goes to show just how ingrained certain aspects of technology come to be in our culture as a whole. While it's easy to say that live video technology was popularized by Gen Z, it's also been around for quite a bit longer than just that. Millennials, even baby boomers, are familiar with such technology. This is simply an example of the chicken and the egg, with no one really knowing what came first.
Read next: Parents Don’t See Games as a Negative Influence Anymore According to Survey
Now, this study can be interpreted in two separate ways. The first is that Gen Z is downloading more and more apps with live videos in them. The other interpretation is that more and more applications are incorporating live video, regardless of the generation's response. The most accurate interpretation, or so this author believes, involves both of them. Much like an ouroboros swallowing it's own tongue, one begets the other. But let's not complicate matters any further. Instead, let's take a look at live video and see how far its come.
Live video's been a popular form of communication since the 2010s, with applications such as Skype being majorly responsible for the hype. They're an easy and even better way of communication, allowing users to see each other despite being miles apart. The incorporation of live video into streaming platforms is what would change the game, however. With platforms such as Twitch, live video soon became a tool for entertainment purposes, not just familial bonding. The world of video gaming Let's Plays got a lot of attention due to this as well. Soon enough, any number of vocations and hobbies found their own niche communities due to live streaming.
Live video as a form of communication didn't go away, however. Soon, applications such as WhatsApp incorporated the technology, pushing Skype just a bit into the background. The near overnight popularity of Zoom did so even more, and globally popularized the usage of live video as a more communal form of communication. Apps such as FaceTime started being used more commonly by younger individuals in order to communicate with each other. Apps such as Instagram and Facebook also have incorporated live video chat into their interface.
The study conducted by Agora, a real-time voice and video engagement firm, pulled over a thousand Gen Z individual from the USA, asking them if they used mobile apps with interactive live video features. 87% of the sample population said yes. This only goes to show just how ingrained certain aspects of technology come to be in our culture as a whole. While it's easy to say that live video technology was popularized by Gen Z, it's also been around for quite a bit longer than just that. Millennials, even baby boomers, are familiar with such technology. This is simply an example of the chicken and the egg, with no one really knowing what came first.
Read next: Parents Don’t See Games as a Negative Influence Anymore According to Survey
