5 In 5: #Graduation2020, Social Distance, YouTube Fact-Checking, Donation Sticker, Oscars

Each week, Padilla’s Insights + Strategy team stands at the intersection of people, culture and brands to bring you five stories that you can read in five minutes.

1. #Graduation2020

To help ease the pain of the class of 2020 missing their graduation ceremonies, Facebook and Instagram are hosting a multi-hour livestreaming graduation event with real star power. Oprah Winfrey will be delivering the commencement speech with a performance from Miley Cyrus and cameos from Awkwafina, Simone Biles, Jennifer Garner and others. Why should you care? In addition to celebrity appearances and performances, Facebook and Instagram also have enabled graduates to host their own virtual ceremonies with features that include a virtual hub, custom filters, music stickers to create a graduation soundtrack and celebrations with family/friends via Messenger Rooms. In a time of much uncertainty, it’s nice to see how brands, platforms and people are coming together to pause and celebrate a momentous occasion. [Adweek]

2. Social Distance

From the producers of “Orange is the New Black” comes a new anthology series, “Social Distance.” Picked up by Netflix, it will be produced remotely and focus on the new normal of life in quarantine. Why should you care? The producers felt passionate about being able to find connections even amidst social distancing and noted, “We’ve been inspired to create an anthology series that tells stories about the current moment we are living through – unique, personal and deeply human stories that illustrate how we are living apart, together.” [Variety]

3. YouTube Fact-Checking

As COVID-19-related hoaxes continue to circulate the internet, YouTube has introduced fact-check information to the U.S. market (it was initially launched in Brazil and India last year). Why should you care? During the pandemic, there has been a number of conspiracy theories and myths floating around the internet – from COVID-19 origin stories to misconceptions about certain treatments. As this crisis continues to unfold, so will false information – it will be interesting to see what other social media platforms will do to help stop the spread of fake news. [Variety]

4. Donation Sticker

Instagram has rolled out a new feature enabling users to add a donation sticker to their Instagram Live stories. Why should you care? The donation sticker has been around since 2019, but this new feature is a bit more immediate and enables you to see how many people are supporting the fundraiser and how much money has been raised thus far. This goes hand in hand with the new-found crises people are facing and enabling users to give more (Instagram does not take a cut of donations like GoFundMe) and much faster. [Mashable]

5. Oscars  

The Academy announced streaming movies are now eligible for Oscar nominations. Why should you care? In the wake of the pandemic, many businesses have been shuttered – and that includes movie theaters. To make up for that loss, movies have had to settle for digital releases on streaming services, which is what prompted the Academy to make new exceptions to the restrictions this year. This is a reminder of the way COVID-19 has upended normal life – from remote working to, yes, simple pleasures like the Oscars – and the continued ways we seek to adapt by breaking the rules/societal norms. [The Verge]

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