Derrick and Darnel have built a huge community on Yubo-- with Lives hitting over 1000 viewers. They told us that they were able to create their community and make real friendships because Yubo gives them the freedom to be themselves and just have fun. That’s why we invited them to our blog to tell us more about how they use Yubo to make friends and form strong communities.

Derrick and Darnel are two brothers from Broward County, Florida that are known for their “Bored and Black” and “Rant” Lives. Their Bored and Black lives are hilarious and chaotic, while their Rant Lives are a mix of humor and actual advice. On the Rant Lives, they ask viewers to come on and share something that’s bothering them, and they give them advice that can be anywhere from serious to ridiculous… depending on the ranter. They’ll make jokes when someone comes on to rant about a minor inconvenience, like their uber eats order being messed up. But, when a viewer actually needs their advice, they do everything to support them and let them know that they matter. It's their mix of banter and advice that keeps users coming back to their Lives and has created their community on Yubo. Here’s just a few hilarious quotes from their last Live to show you what we mean:   

“What’s bothering your biscuits?” 

“All that sauce with only six chicken tenders, It’s like life is trying to tell me I’m a joke” 

“Life’s not Subway, you can’t have it your way” 

They say that they found Yubo completely by accident, but ever since, they’ve been using it to be creative, make friends, and have fun.

How did they build a Community on Yubo? 

The way that Derrick and Darnel use Yubo has allowed them to quickly build a tight-knit community. They don’t always host, but every two weeks they do a Rant live. Meanwhile, their Bored and Black Lives could be anytime, and it's always exciting for the people who know them when they see it pop up on the app. These lives tend to be more chaotic than Rants but both show how hilarious, authentic, and fun these two are. 

Other than that, they told us that they don’t really have a structure, but that’s ok because that’s not what Yubo is about. Yubo gives users the freedom to be themselves and just have fun in Lives. Derrick and Darnel are perfect examples that being yourself, and having fun talking to people is all it takes to build an amazing community on Yubo!

Derrick and Darnel told us that they love Yubo because it lets them get to know, and sometimes even become friends with their viewers. They may have a big community, but they said that it feels like on Yubo, everyone knows everyone! They have such a large community that when they join a Live, they are often greeted by the hosts saying excitedly, “Is that Derrick?! Hi Darnel!!”. But, they explained that when this happens on Yubo, it's different from Live streaming on their Youtube, or their Instagrams. On those platforms that person would be a fan that they would have likely never talked to. Meanwhile, they said that when that happens on Yubo, odds are, they have talked to that person before. It’s these meaningful interactions that have led to them making friends while they built their community on Yubo. 

Community Building and Making Friends on Yubo

Community Building and Making Friends on Yubo: Interview

Between miscommunications, lack of trust, discrimination, and cultural discord, finding friends from other countries can seem impossible. However, this is changing because of platforms like Yubo where people from around the world can engage in live conversations with each other. At Yubo, we are on a mission to create more international friendships.

In honor of international friendship, we wanted to give the floor to one of our users, Gonzalo Pacini, who has used Yubo to make friends all over the world. Since 2018, he has used Yubo to learn new languages, meet new people, and learn about other cultures. Gonzalo shows that with a little help from Yubo, friendships can form no matter the distance, and how connecting with people with different backgrounds lets us grow! 

I am Gonzalo Pacini, a 21-year-old Yubo user who learned seven languages and made dozens of friends from different countries by going Live on Yubo. 

Since I joined Yubo in 2018, I have learned English, French, Mandarin, Italian, Portuguese, German and am currently learning Russian. I keep learning more because I made so many friends that I never would have if I hadn’t been able to connect with them on Yubo. 

If you are learning a foreign language in school or on your own and looking for a way to practice? Go Live on Yubo! It lets you practice another language and meet people your age from all over the world while you’re at it! 

I believe that going live on Yubo offers young people something unique: the possibility of practising another language in a group setting. Unlike language learning apps, on Yubo Lives you can talk in real-time and carry a conversation with 3 or 6 native speakers talking one on top of each other, all at a native pace. I personally use Yubo for languages and it allows me to get out of my comfort zone, to speak quickly, to learn new words, local phrases, and to fit into a culture that is different from mine. While this was scary at first, I never gave up because meeting people with diverse backgrounds is so rewarding and because of them, my life improved immensely.

I have close friends all over the world because of Yubo. Sometimes in Lives I will even translate between two people because it's a shame to miss out on people because of a language barrier. It's still shocking every time I get to know someone, that if I hadn’t learned their language on Yubo or joined their Live, I would’ve otherwise never met. Meeting so many new people makes me see the world in a different light since other cultures are no different than yours. And when I get to know someone and understand them, I always come to realize that we are very similar as people.

How to use Tags to Make International Friends

Yubo is challenging you to try and make a friend from a different country. Plus, this is easier than ever with our new add friends by tag feature. Just hashtag the place you want to meet someone from and start making friends! If you’re hesitant about joining lives in another language, try just starting as a viewer. However you choose to celebrate, International Friendship Day shows us that we grow by connecting with people that are different from us, and there's no better place to do this than on Yubo!

In honor of international friendship, Yubo wanted to give the floor to one of its users: Gonzalo Pacini, who has used Yubo to make friends all over the world. Since 2018, he has used Yubo to learn new languages, meet new people, and learn about other cultures.

Make International Friends on Yubo

Make International Friends on Yubo: Interview

Yubo knows it has been a tough year for everyone, especially Gen Z.  That’s why we went all out for World Mental Health Day this year! We partnered with the inspiring model and influencer AJ Clementine! During her live, she answered questions, gave advice on staying sane during Australia’s lockdown, and had a meaningful conversation about mental health. Here’s a wrap-up of the event in case you missed it live! 

If you don’t know who AJ is, she’s one of Australia’s most popular social media stars and LGBTQIA+ advocates. AJ is only 25 years old but is changing the world by sharing her transition, mental health tips and body positivity. While we are obsessed with her fairy princess aesthetic, it was her openness and positivity that made her the obvious choice to host our live. 

During the event, she and some special guests got real with users about how to deal with anxiety, lockdown loneliness, online school,  and so much more. Participants asked her for advice on dealing with COVID-19 lockdowns, and Clementine said that she has been coping by “romanticizing everything in her life”…even if it’s just while binge watching a TV show. Clementine’s friend chimed in to say that she makes herself feel better by keeping her space clean. AJ  completely agreed. For her, “a clean space means a clean mind,  especially when you’re stuck inside all day”. 

AJ was not afraid to draw on her own life. When a user opened up about being nervous to see a therapist, AJ  shared that it took her a while “to work up the courage to take the first step” towards therapy, but that “as long as you are on that road,  you are doing amazing”. That being said, AJ knows what works for her might not be for everyone. Like when people ask Clementine about her gender identity,  she says that she is comfortable answering their questions and advocating for the transgender community. But she added that other people in this situation “don’t owe anyone information” and shouldn’t feel pressure to be open with their gender identity if they don’t want to.

AJ Clementine joins Yubo for Mental Health Live

The theme for World Mental Health Day this year was ‘Mental Health in an Unequal World’, because race, sexual orientation,  gender, and other factors have a big impact on mental health. One of  AJ’s greatest strengths is her willingness to talk about the mental health struggles specific to the transgender community. Like the advice, she gave to a participant who opened up about struggling with body dysphoria. Body dysphoria is when someone is battling the mismatch between their assigned gender at birth and their gender identity. AJ  shared that she deals by “reminding myself how far I have come” and told the listener that discovering “the little things that make you feel more confident is so important, whether it’s your style, or doing your makeup, or a pair of shoes, there are so many things we can access within ourselves to make us feel more confident”.

Thanks, AJ for being a fantastic host and inspiring member of Yubo’s community. Stay tuned for more mental health conversations and advice on Yubo! 

AJ Clementine joined Yubo this World Mental Health Day to host a mental health focused Live! AJ Clementine is one of Australia’s most popular social media stars and LGBTQIA+ advocates. On the live, Clementine gave advice, support, and so much love! She embodied the theme of World Mental Health Day 2021, ‘Mental Health in an Unequal World’ through her willingness to talk about the mental health struggles specific to the transgender and LGBTQIA+ community.

AJ Clementine Celebrates World Mental Day on Yubo

At Yubo, we’ve been focusing on building a place for Gen Z to make meaningful connections and have fulfilling conversations. That’s why we’ve been busy building features that help new users easily make groups of friends with common interests. More specifically, we want to encourage new users to express their hobbies and interests in their profiles and also explain that joining a live for the first time isn’t as high-stakes or intimidating as it may seem. 

Adding Tags at Sign-up = A More Personalized User Experience 

Users add tags to their profiles to show their new friends the latest topics that they’re keen to chat about. To make sure new users start off with plenty to discuss, we’ve included the tags feature in the account creation flow. In order for them to find the right tags to add to their profile, new categories have been launched– making it easier than ever to find everything from your favorite show or your favorite hobby. Already, this feature has been adopted by 65 percent of new users! 

We want our users to make friends with common interests, so it will now be possible to add friends by tags too! This new feature is super easy to access. Now, user’s top tags will appear directly in their “friends” tab so that all they need to do is click on them to find their future friends. 

This feature will also be available directly from users’ profiles. If a user comes across a profile with a  tag that interests them, they can click on it to find other users who share that interest. This feature is going to help users make valuable new connections and meaningful friendships. Not to mention that sharing the same interests is the perfect ice-breaking to start a new friendship! 

We Know Going Live can be Scary: So Let’s do a Test Run First 

Yubo is for all personality types,  from type A extroverts to the painfully shy. And no matter where someone falls on that spectrum, joining a live for the first time can seem intimidating. That’s why we added a new onboarding step that will differentiate between a watcher and a  streamer, and show users that they can join a livestream with their microphones and camera turned off. We hope that this improvement will show every user that they can socialize on Live without barriers, no matter what their comfort level is.

In Yubo's newest product update, we've added two new features: Adding friends by tag, and a Live test run when you create your account. We hope these new features will encourage new users to express their hobbies and interests in their profiles and also explain that joining a live for the first time isn’t as high-stakes or intimidating as it may seem. Adding friends by tag will enable users to make friends with common interests, and to show their new friends the latest topics they are looking to connect about.

Yubo Launches New Features: Add Friends by Tag

Worried about school or uni? Friends or family getting you down? Anxious about your health or finances? It’s been a tough 18 months for everyone so this year’s World Mental Health  Day (#WMHD), which takes place on Sunday 10 October, is more important than ever. 

In the US, for example, a study by not-for-profit organisation FAIR Health found that anxiety and depression among 13 to 22-year olds increased significantly in the spring of 2020. And in the UK, record numbers of children and young people (almost 200,000) sought access to NHS mental health services between April and June 2021, according to a report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Furthermore, this year’s #WMHD theme of ‘Mental Health in an Unequal World’ reminds us all that race,  ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, income and other factors can have an impact on our mental health and the kind of care we receive. As this article  by the World Federation for Mental Health puts it, “Many people with a  mental illness do not receive the treatment that they are entitled to  and deserve and together with their families and carers continue to  experience stigma and discrimination.” 

UNICEF recently set out three opportunities for improving young people’s mental health – one of which is to ‘continue engaging young people, their caregivers and their communities in judgement-free conversations about mental health’.  We support this wholeheartedly and, with more than 50 million users, we remain committed to encouraging open and honest dialogue about mental wellbeing on the Yubo platform. 

“At a time when young people should have had the freedom to explore who they are, doing whatever it is that they enjoy and gaining skills for the future, their lives were put on hold for many uncertain months. As everyone around them also seemed super-stressed, it was even harder to be open about how they were feeling. For some, this led to increased feelings of anxiety, stress and low mood,” explains Dr Richard Graham, Consultant Psychiatrist,  Clinical Director of Good Thinking and member of the Yubo safety board. “World Mental Health Day is an excellent opportunity to remind the Yubo community that it’s OK to express how you’re feeling and also feel it is your right to ask for support. Even taking part in Lives can be very helpful for sharing your  thoughts and realising you’re not alone.” 

To raise awareness of #WMHD and support members of the Yubo community on their journey to good mental wellbeing, we’re holding a series of events this month. These include  talks with:

AJ Clementine – an Aussie influencer and model who shares her transition on social media and promotes good mental health and body positivity 

Partnership for Young London – a UK association that aims to connect everyone who cares about young people in London

Emily Rios – a US influencer who advocates for good mental health and body positivity 

Dora Kamau and Akeem Pierre – US influencers who will discuss mental health in the black American community 

We’ll also be running a meditation session with a coach, a bedtime and relaxation story session with Shane Donohue and expanding our Ranting Lives. During these sessions, we invite young people to open up about any problems or concerns they have, vent their emotions and find others who will listen and provide much-needed support.

In addition, we’re teaming up with leading mental health charities and other organisations to run in-app  #WMHD awareness campaigns in our main territories. By working with Stem4 (Australia, New Zealand, US, Canada), Partnership for Young London (UK), Friends (Sweden) and Reach Out (Australia) we’ll give our users access to mental health support and resources. These campaigns will be visible in our Swipes function throughout October.

As the world gets back to some kind of stability after the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s vital that young people receive the support they deserve – so that they can thrive now and plan for the future. This might be through schools, healthcare services, charity helplines or wellbeing apps, such as Stem4. Social media companies like Yubo also play a crucial role by helping young people to connect with and support their peers. As a recent blog on the Parenting for a Digital Future website notes, the internet provides important communication and socialising opportunities for young people. It goes on to say, “In situations when children are struggling  with mental difficulties, online communities can offer unique support as they provide a strong connection, non-judgmental understanding, and a feeling of belonging.”

“The Yubo team has built a social media platform without influencers, followers or likes and works hard to promote kindness, positivity and resilience,” comments Annie Mullins  OBE, Safety Advisor to Yubo. “With young people turning to their digital spaces more and more, it’s vital that Yubo promotes national awareness days such as #WMHD but, more importantly, that self-care and supporting others is encouraged all year round. Thank you to everyone who is giving a  talk and supporting our in-app wellbeing campaigns – we really  appreciate it.”

Friends not followers, Mental health during COVID-19 and Safer Internet Day.

Yubo is celebrating this World Mental Health Day with special guests, events, and of course, Lives about the importance of mental health

Yubo x World Mental Health Day

The Gen Z social network app expands its sustainable freemium business model protecting user data

Yubo, the leading platform for young people to socialise online, today announces the launch of YuBucks, a virtual online currency. This new paid feature is part of the development of the social network's unique business model that monetises through sustainable social commerce rather than selling its users' data.

Since the rollout of YuBucks Beta, the app has experienced an increased turnover of more than 20% and the number of users who have made at least one purchase has increased by over 10%.  

In mid-July, Yubo will also be launching another new paid-for feature: Pixels. Yubo has collaborated with the Pixel artist Banfan to create collectible digital art representing qualities, moods, and personalities. Yubo users will be able to purchase these in-app and can start their own collection, send it to their friends and send it to people they admire on the app, for example, their favorite streamers.

Yubo - Introducing Pixels

Founded in 2015, Yubo’s mission is to enable Gen Z to make genuine friendships online and is completely influencer free and like-free. By moving away from the traditional social network business model, Yubo’s users are able to more easily connect with each other without the pressure of likes. The app, which experienced a 550% growth increase over 2020, has 50 million users across 40 countries. Since December 2020, the app has had a 497.13% increase in new users worldwide.

Sacha Lazimi, Co-founder and CEO of Yubo, said “The launch of YuBucks and upcoming launch of Pixels, is another step forward in strengthening our unique business model that montezises through social commerce as well as enhances the in-app experience for our users. 

Our freemium business models allow us to keep our users' data safe and protected, which is a top priority for us and our users. We are carving a new path in social media - at Yubo, we believe you shouldn't have to sell your personal data in order to enjoy and experience a platform.”

The addition of YuBucks creates a more seamless experience for users as they can purchase any paid-for feature in-app without having to repeat the payment process. As a result, users waste less time on microtransactions and can fully enjoy their experience on Yubo.

Yubucks will also facilitate the prize or reward system at events organised in the application. Users will be able to win prizes in YuBucks and be free to choose which paid feature they prefer and wish to obtain.

YuBucks are now available via the app store and can be purchased in packages or as part of an ongoing monthly subscription. There are currently five different packs available in the store, starting from as little as $4.99.

Yubo, the leading platform for young people to socialise online, announces the launch of YuBucks, a virtual online currency. Yubo also launched another new paid-for feature: Pixels, collectible digital art representing qualities, moods, and personalities.

Yubo Launches YuBucks and Pixels

“I’ve made so many amazing friends who also identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community through Yubo,” says 18-year-old Asher from Australia. “I absolutely love how open and supportive we are towards one another.” It’s always great to get this kind of feedback as we want Yubo to be a  platform where everyone can express themselves without fear of judgment. 

Indeed, we’re extremely proud to have such a large and active LGBTQIA+  community on Yubo. 2.8 million users have included the Pride flag in their Yubo profile since April 2020 and more than 4,000 livestreams about gender identity, sexuality and other LGBTQIA+ topics take place worldwide on our platform each day – that’s around 1.45 million livestreams a year! 

LGBTQ+ Life Around The World | Yubo 2021 Pride

Earlier this year, we asked Yubo users in the US, France, UK and Australia who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community to pick the most pressing topics for them and their allies so that we could put together a programme of livestreams to celebrate Pride month. 

As a result, we hosted various educational talks and Q&A sessions throughout June on topics such as gender fluidity, family acceptance and challenging racism. We also organised make-up tutorials, discussions about self-love and youth engagement and a drag queen ball. 

It was quite a month and we couldn’t have done it without the amazing support of a number of LGBTQIA+ organisations and influencers from around the world, including @montykeates, @sebbbyjon, @calypso_jete, @yaniskaia and @lyanna_queen.  Thank you to all those involved – you helped members of the Yubo community to think, laugh, share, meet new people and get inspired.

In mid-June, we announced that 35 gender identities and 50 pronouns in multiple languages are now available on the Yubo platform to give our users a more personalised and inclusive experience. It’s another proud moment for us as we’re the first platform to enable our users to customise their profile in this way. 

We worked with UK-based LGBTQIA+ focused NGO Mermaids on this initiative. As Matt Moore of Mermaids says, “It’s  extremely important that organisations like Yubo are taking these steps  to make their platforms a more inclusive place for gender-diverse young  people.” 

Our CEO and Co-Founder Sacha Lazimi notes that we want our entire community to feel accepted and included.  We’ve already built a platform that is not focused on followers or  ‘likes’ and, by providing LGBTQIA+ young people with a range of gender identities and pronouns for their Yubo profiles, we’re going even further in helping our users represent themselves authentically. 

One of our ambassadors, 20-year-old  Zach who is based in the US, describes the addition of gender identities and pronouns in the Yubo app as a landmark. They praised Yubo for giving users the option to meet like-minded people who can provide support and comfort they may not get from their community, relatives or friends. “It’s the family you can choose,” comments Zach. 

This sentiment is echoed by 17-year-old Ryan from France who says, “On Yubo I have been able to find friends and to fully accept myself as I  am… [Yubo] is full of kindness, we share our doubts and we advise each  other to move forward.” Or as 18-year-old Zekorri from the US puts it, “… we can find people who are like us and who can help us feel more ourselves.”

Pride month was an opportunity for Yubo to help advance LGBTQIA+ equality and amplify young people’s voices. As June drew to a close, we realised something: our platform really is a safe space for LGBTQIA+ young people; a place where they can open up and share their hopes, dreams and concerns. 

With Asher, Zach, Ryan, Zekorri and many others in mind, we remain committed to making Yubo even more inclusive and working with young people around the world to get their voices heard – during Pride month and every other month of the year.

Want to know more about how Yubo supports young people?

Check out our ‘Friends not followers’ and ‘Let’s talk identity’ blogs.

Looking back at Pride month

Looking Back at Pride Month

We like to go against the grain here at Yubo. Unlike many other social media companies, we’ve built a platform without influencers, followers or likes. Instead of putting pressure on our Gen Z users to be popular, we simply want them to be themselves, have fun and make friends. Our new brand campaign focuses on this, with messages such as ‘Life not likes’, ‘Community not clout’ and ‘Just be you’.

Research shows that the ‘like economy’ encourages social comparison, which can affect young people’s self-esteem and wellbeing. A study by the University of Turku found that many social media users (young women, in particular) feel pressured about their appearance and researchers at the University of York say that social media metrics, such as likes, even have the potential to change how we feel about our memories. 

With this in mind, we’ve created a positive environment where every young person is welcome. We urge Yubo users to be friends, not followers and to create genuine interactions without the pressure of follows and likes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve all had to stay apart in the real world – connecting and socialising in our digital spaces in an authentic way has become more important than ever. As one Vox journalist puts it, “Inevitably, the platforms and types of content that people took comfort in during the pandemic were ones that felt the most real.” 

With authenticity at the heart of Yubo, we’ve clearly tapped into something special. We already have more than 45 million young people using our real-time livestreams to socialise with their peers in a safe environment. In the first two months of 2021, daily streaming increased on Yubo by over 8.7% and our users are becoming more and more engaged – hand raising in livestreams increased by almost a quarter (24.5%) and live screen sharing went up by more than a fifth (23.7%).

As the Yubo community spends more time on our platform, we continue to provide advice and tools, such as age recognition and real-time safety alerts, to help our users improve their digital awareness and stay safe.

In support of our new brand campaign, we’re showcasing some of the amazing friendships that have flourished on Yubo in recent times. We know that Gen Z has been hit hard by the COVID-19 lockdowns – for example, research by Harvard (US) and the Mental Health Foundation (UK) reveals that many young people have grown increasingly lonely over the course of the pandemic. As our CEO and Founder Sacha Lazimi says, “One of Yubo’s goals is to combat loneliness among teenagers and young adults, by enabling them to meet new people online and make friends.” 

London-based 20-year-old Angelica (Angel) and 21-year-old Mjay met in January 2021 during a Yubo livestream where they bonded over shared political views. They now count each other as best friends, streaming together every day despite never having met in person.

“For me, I always felt like there was a stigma attached to meeting people online… I was very wary until I met Angel, but meeting her has opened my eyes to making friendships online and I felt safe communicating and streaming on Yubo,” explains Mjay. “I never thought I would make a friend during lockdown but Angel is one of my closest friends, I'm so much more open to making friendships online now I have had such a good experience.”

In Australia, 20-year-old Sarah joined Yubo in July 2020 as she wanted to make more friends and speak to more fellow Aussies during lockdown. During this time, Sarah virtually met her now good friend Paisley and hopes they will meet face to face at the end of this year.

As Sarah says, “Living in a regional town in NSW can be isolating, so it has been incredible to find a digital community where everyone can feel connected and form genuine friendships regardless of where they are in the world. I’m hoping to move to Queensland later this year, and Paisley and I are counting down the days until we can finally meet in person.”

20-year-old Samuel de Souza (Sam), 16-year-old Enzo Silenzi (Schonungen) and 19-year-old Thiago Hensel (Thiago) met in February 2019 during a livestream and instantly bonded over their shared visions of the future.

“They are friends that I will take with me for life. And from that, I consider them as my family,” comments Thiago. “The three of us are young and gay, we have moved in a lot of country, outside Brazil and we cannot create easily a strong bond. And Yubo ends up becoming a way to create this bond. Our bond is going to be there forever.”

Finally, Federico and Paul-Antoine show us that friendship can be international. From Monaco and France respectively, they are part of a group of around 10 friends who spend all their evenings together on the app. 

"We met people on the app who have now become our close friends. We create sincere friendships, because we can talk about everything: our days, our classes, our problems... It's the perfect application to create links with people, and to meet incredible people. We talk to each other every day, there is a real bond of trust between us,” explains Federico. "We also have a lot of fun imagining new game concepts: recently we did a livestream in which we reproduced famous choreographies, with an average of 100 people at each livestream.” 

When we read these kinds of comments, we’re struck by the power of Yubo and touched that it is having such a positive impact on young people’s lives at such a challenging time. As we come out of the pandemic, we’ll be here to help Gen Z stay connected – in a safe space, free of pressure. 

You’ve probably noticed that our website and app look a little different. 

One of the goals of our new brand campaign is to spread the word about how we’d like young people’s online interactions to change so that they focus on friends, not followers. Keep an eye out for our online, print and outdoor ads in the UK, US and Australia! 

We like to go against the grain here at Yubo. Unlike many other social media companies, we’ve built a platform without influencers, followers or likes.

Friends Not Followers

Friends not Followers

~  Bye bye Valentine’s Day pressures and traditions, why not committing to yourself this year instead? Gen Z is changing the rules and building on self-love ~ 

Whilst this time of year tends to shine a spotlight on romantic relationships, at Yubo we believe that the most important relationship you have is the one you share with yourself. This month, we decided to invite some inspiring and strong young people to reflect on self-love by opening up about issues they’ve had to overcome to be their most authentic selves today. 

We surveyed over 35,000 of our 13-25 year-old users all over the world to better understand how they value their relationship with themselves, rather than with a partner. Turns out over a fifth (33% in the US and 21% in the UK) referenced the former as the “the most important” vs. 16.5% citing a romantic partner, coming last behind their relationship with their family (24% in the US) or friends (29% in the UK). 

Despite this, half (51%) of Gen Zers still feel there is a societal pressure to be in a relationship on Valentine’s day. And, where is this pressure coming from? 

Doing it for the ‘gram: Overwhelmingly, half (50%) of teens and young adults said they felt the most pressure to be loved up on Valentine’s Day from traditional social media 

Me, Myself and I: A fifth (21%) said the pressure is actually coming from within themselves 

Television Romance: 17% of Gen Zers said TV shows, movies and music are fuelling the romantic pressure around Valentine's day

Although Gen Z prioritises the relationship with themselves over a romantic relationship, we revealed that over two-fifths (43%) of Gen Z say that loving themselves is ‘still a work in progress. However, young people are taking necessary steps to love themselves by spending more time on self-care at least a few times a week, with more than 20% actually carving out time for it even daily. 

A guide to Gen Z Self-care - Speak, Sleep, Work Out, Hydrate, Repeat

The most popular forms of self-care for Gen Z is working out (coming first in the UK with 36.5%), getting more sleep (with an overwhelming success in the US with 47,7%) and speaking to or spending time with friends and family (coming first in Australia with more than 38%). This is closely followed by drinking more water and shopping. 

In light of the findings, Yubo knows facilitating young people in learning to love themselves is more important than ever before, especially as lockdowns have negatively affected the mental health of those aged between 13-24 severely. A survey conducted on our users revealed more than 60% of British and American teens felt depressed because of the pandemic. 

In order to help them boost their self-compassion this Valentine's day, Dr Richard Graham, Consultant Psychiatrist, Clinical Director of Good Thinking and member of the Yubo safety board, has revealed his top tips to help us all learn how to treat ourselves with more kindness: 

Comfort your body. Try to eat something healthy. Lie down and get some rest. Perhaps massage your own neck, feet, or hands or even take a walk. Remember the things that improve how you feel physically and try them again.

Give yourself encouragement. Think of what you would say to a good friend if he or she was facing a difficult or stressful situation. Then say those same words to yourself to boost your confidence and motivation. 

Make time for some breathing space. Make time for some breathing space. When everything seems uncertain or overwhelming, take a break. Take note of your feelings, but then also focus on your body senses; feel the ground beneath your feet. This will refresh you and help you engage with what you need to.

Put it into print. When you are feeling more relaxed, write down or print off a list of your achievements, or your good qualities and keep it somewhere safe. If you start to doubt yourself, read those words again and respect the person who wrote them.

Address the Problem: Get to the root of what is bothering you first and foremost so you can figure out how to navigate the problem. From there, you can identify what you need to feel better about the situation and ultimately practice self-love. 

Embracing your true self online: giving a voice to our community

In addition to the poll, we also had the chance to speak with some of our amazing users that have learned to love and embrace who they are over time and with the support of friends on Yubo :

Zach (@queenzach2019 on Yubo) a 19-year-old from suburban Pennsylvania: “Yubo has served as a powerful vessel for me, a place I have been able to connect with friends that only a few months ago they had not even known yet. While self-love hasn’t always been easy for me, and still is something I work on daily, Yubo has been a safe space for me to be myself in the truest form of the word.” 

Mikaylah (@kaykaymid) from Long Island, NY: “As a student in my first year at college during a pandemic in NYC, it’s hard to meet new people. Even though I’m on the dance team, making friends during lockdowns hasn’t been easy on campus. Yubo has made my friend pool that much wider, where we can talk about body positivity, self-care and self-love, and anything else that’s on our minds.”

Whilst this time of year tends to shine a spotlight on romantic relationships, at Yubo we believe that the most important relationship you have is the one you share with yourself.

Thank you, Next

Thank You, Next

2020 has shone a spotlight on many inequalities in our society and we have seen a renewed interest in politics and social justice among young people. From climate change (#FridaysForFuture) to systemic racism (#BlackLivesMatter), from COVID-19 (#StayHome) to sexual violence (#MeToo), social media provides a vital platform for teens and others to focus on the issues that matter to them.

In the midst of a global pandemic, the US election captured many young people’s attention. Described by one media outlet as “the revenge of the millennials”, young voters were a decisive factor in the election result. Figures from NBC suggest that 65% of 18 to 24-year-olds voted for Joe Biden – significantly more than any other age group.

We certainly saw the US election gain traction on Yubo. Over the last six months, there were more than 150,000 live streams on the topic and, around election day (3-4 November), the Yubo community was discussing Trump vs Biden in more than 15,000 live streams.

During election week, we ran a poll of more than 14,000 Yubo members under the age of 18 in the US. More than half (59%) of the respondents said they were “very invested” in the election and 82% had watched at least one of the presidential debates. When we asked “What topic was most important for you in the 2020 election?”, ‘social justice’ was the most popular answer (57%) – streets ahead of ‘economics’ (8%), ‘environment’ (7%) and ‘education’ (3%).  

There are lots of examples in American history of young people driving social change, including the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War. With so many economic and social issues currently affecting the younger generation, it’s perhaps no surprise that youth voter turnout in the 2020 US election was much higher than four years ago. Strikingly, 93% of the under-18 Yubo users we surveyed said they would have voted if they had been allowed to. 

Inspired by young activists, such as Greta Thunberg, Ja’Mal Green and Malala Yousafzai, children and teens are increasingly urging politicians and other decision-makers to help them change the world. As Deloitte’s Global Millennial Survey notes, young people are “... deeply affected by the pandemic but seem able to see opportunity in the darkness, viewing this crisis as an opportunity to reset and drive the change they want to see. Millennials and Gen Zs aren’t just hoping for a better world to emerge after the COVID-19 pandemic releases its grip on society — they want to lead the change.”

For younger members of the Yubo community, we offer a safe space where they can meet new people and hang out. As our usage stats show, many young people are choosing to debate the issues of the day in our live rooms. With more than half of the respondents in our recent poll citing ‘social justice’ as the most important topic when electing a new President of the United States, technology continues to play a vital role in connecting them to one another and helping them to have their voices heard. We are proud to support this go-getting, change-inspiring, put-others-first generation.

Find out how we’re supporting the Yubo community when it comes to equality, mental health and online safety.

2020 has shone a spotlight on many inequalities in our society and we have seen a renewed interest in politics and social justice among young people. We certainly saw the US election gain traction on Yubo. Over the last six months, there were more than 150,000 live streams on the topic and, around election day, the Yubo community was discussing Trump vs Biden in more than 15,000 live streams.

Social Justice and Social Media

Social justice and Social Media

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been hard on everyone. For young people, in particular, it could have a long-lasting impact on their mental health and well-being. Missing school and exams, not being able to see friends, losing jobs and apprenticeships... Many teenagers and young adults have had their lives turned upside down. 

By April 2020, more than 1.5 billion young people around the world were staying at home as part of lockdowns and the situation has been described by youth organisations as “an eerie world, full of uncertainty”. In a recent UK study, almost half (42%) of 16 to 29-year-olds said the COVID-19 lockdown was having a negative impact on their mental health and, in the US, young people reported being bored (52%), worried (49%) and scared (34%). All this at a time when they would normally be developing their social skills, connecting and socialising with others and building a sense of identity.

“There has been a huge disruption to daily routines,” comments Dr Richard Graham, Consultant Psychiatrist, Clinical Director of Good Thinking and member of the Yubo safety board. “Many of the anchors that support young people’s mental health, like school, friends and exercise, have been removed and this has created a great deal of uncertainty and anxiety.” 

As lockdowns are eased around the world, the concerns don’t go away. Young people continue to be worried about their health (Might I or someone I know get sick?), their education (When will I go back to school/college and how will the disruption to exams affect my grades?), their finances (What if I lose my job or can’t get a job?) and their future (Will I be able to travel, work, socialise and have the kind of life I want?). So, how have members of the Yubo community supported each other in recent months and how has the Yubo team helped?

As Maslow’s hierarchy of needs shows, human beings have social needs, such as acceptance and belonging. With physical distancing in place, many young people have found that online communities are helping them to get through the COVID-19 pandemic. Research shows that connecting with family and friends online and going on social media are popular coping strategies. 

As one Forbes journalist put it, “... in order to socialize, entertain themselves, or even plainly put, kill time, many [teenagers] have turned to their good old friend: their smartphone.” We have certainly seen this at Yubo. In 2020, we have doubled our daily active users and the time our users spend in live streams has increased by more than 350%. 

Digital spaces were already deeply embedded in young people’s lives and are often used to support their health and well-being. Health and technology advisor Susannah Fox notes that many young people go online for peer support on health issues, for example. She describes this as having a “just-in-time-someone-like-you”. COVID-19 has amplified the need for human connection and trusted relationships and, if you can’t get these face-to-face, online is a great alternative.

“Over the last few months, young people seem to have been looking for meaningful interactions on social media rather than just passive scrolling or superficial rewards such as ‘likes’,” says Dr Graham. “Live streams allow you to be yourself and share your thoughts with a small group of friends, rather than posting filtered images for thousands of people to see. They are a less pressured and more authentic way of communicating.”

With screen time increasing, however, so too might some of the risks. As well as being concerned that the online/offline balance might have become skewed, young people and their families might have to deal with fake news, misinformation, online bullying and sexual exploitation. That’s why we continue to support younger members of the Yubo community with safety advice and innovative tools, such as age checks, pop-up alerts and real-time interventions. 

Recognising the potential impact of COVID-19 on our users’ mental health, we recently partnered with NHS-approved digital mental well-being service Good Thinking to raise awareness of support resources available in the UK. To mark Mental Health Awareness Week and help the Yubo community fight anxiety and stress during lockdown, we created this in-App campaign, which has had more than 300 000 views.

“Our focus at Good Thinking is on encouraging good self-care. We offer tips, expert advice and NHS-approved apps to help reduce stress, anxiety and low mood and improve sleep,” explains Dr Graham. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have created an advice hub that includes tips to help young people and their families deal with any concerns they have and become more resilient.” 

COVID-19 has emphasised the many benefits of digital technology – for example, an article in The Lancet notes that social media might help to make up for some negative effects of social distancing among young people – but the pandemic has also highlighted there are limitations. Could fake news and unhealthy opinions go unchallenged in online chats? When a live stream comes to an end, might the participants feel lonely? 

As a responsible platform, we need to be aware of the mental health challenges our users might face and help them to deal with them. “The Yubo x Good Thinking video is a great example of how you can nudge your audience to take action,” comments Dr Graham. “It caught Yubo users’ attention while they interacted with the app, reminding them that they should focus on their wellbeing at this difficult time and reassuring them that support is available.” 

The video provided a template for other campaigns on issues that matter to our community, such as Pride Month. With so much uncertainty in young people’s lives right now, our strategy here at Yubo remains the same: protect, support, and educate.

Read Good Thinking’s advice about five ways to good mental well-being and listen to the Good Thinking podcasts about online communities, healthy screen/life balance and how to thrive in our digital present and future.

Useful websites to support your mental health:

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been hard on everyone. Yubo is committed to supporting its users through this difficult time by sharing several resources to maintain a good mental health.

Maintaining a Good Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Maintaining Good Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Who am I? Where do I fit in? Who do I want to be? We all ask ourselves these questions. During adolescence, young people start to explore, experiment and figure out who they are. Shaped by family, environment, culture, education and other factors, they face complex choices and challenges in their quest for identity and independence.

In recent weeks, the issue of identity has been high on the news agenda. After the tragic death of George Floyd, many people have been speaking out against racism and taking part in the #BlackLivesMatter protests. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has also shone a spotlight on inequalities – for example, UK studies have found significantly higher mortality rates among ethnic minorities.

When research firm Ypulse asked teenagers and young adults in the US ‘What is the biggest problem your generation faces right now?’ The answer was: racism and discrimination. Our own poll of Yubo users in the US (14 June 2020) revealed that 88% feel that Black Americans are treated differently to others. 86% of respondents think that peaceful protests/political demonstrations are necessary to create a significant change and 77% have posted on social media to support equality for Black Americans.

Pride Month, which celebrated LGBTQ+ communities all over the world in June, has also reminded everyone of the importance of equality and tolerance. Here at Yubo, we partnered with three organisations – Switchboard in the UK, The Trevor Project in the US and Le Refuge in France – to support Pride and promote diversity. You can find out more about these partnerships in this video.

“Together, we have worked on a campaign that aims to promote acceptance and affirmation of one’s identity,” explains Natasha Walker, Co-Chair at Switchboard. “Thought-provoking messages such as ‘Am I the only one who feels like this?’, ‘I feel trapped in my body’ and ‘If this is who I am, why do I feel ashamed?’ were sent to Yubo’s teenage users in the UK, in a bid to encourage those who are struggling with their gender identity and sexuality to telephone the helpline for support.”

Yubo partners with LGBT+ helplines for Pride Month

The digital world has become a fundamental part of young people’s identity over the last decade – a space in which they can discover who they are and grow as a person. Indeed, more than a third (38%) of respondents to a survey by the UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC) said they find it easier to be themselves online.

As psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos notes in this video, young people increasingly “crowdsource” their identity online. “Social media, as well as being a way of communicating and connecting, is also a way of gauging what people think about you,” she says. “So, a lot of times, posts are about seeing how accepted you are, how valued you are, where you fit in. Your behaviour online begins to be shaped by the responses that you get.”

Of course, you might get a really positive response. As this article in Pink News shows, Yubo can offer a vital support system. 18-year-old Thee Amir live-streams make-up tutorials on the app and describes joining our community as “life-changing” because of the support he has received from other LGBTQ+ young people.

With almost 30 million users, we have a responsibility to help younger members of the Yubo community to develop a positive identity. The recent UKSIC survey found that a quarter (25%) of 13 to 17-year-olds had been bullied or attacked online because of their sexuality, race, religion, disability or gender identity. We have zero tolerance for bullying and discrimination – we provide industry-leading safety tools and take action against reports of racism, homophobia and other online hate on our platform.

As the BLM protests continue and Pride Month comes to a close, we’re more determined than ever to make Yubo a positive, diverse and compassionate community. That includes supporting young people as they develop their identity and increase their self-esteem. As the famous quote goes, “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken”.

Yubo’s tips for promoting positive identity online

Be proud of who you are – don’t pretend to be something you’re not or filter out any aspects of your life. 

Be kind to others – nasty comments can be extremely hurtful and might even be illegal so always think before you post. 

Be vigilant – if you or someone else experiences discrimination or harassment on Yubo, report it to us immediately so we can take action.

Who am I? Where do I fit in? Who do I want to be? We all ask ourselves these questions. During adolescence, young people start to explore, experiment and figure out who they are. Yubo gives them a voice and a safe environment to discover themselves and the world.

Let’s talk identity

Let’s Talk Identity

How we’re empowering young people to value and protect their personal information on Yubo

For many years, children and teenagers have been told to ‘think before you post. But, in a world where our online and offline lives are more blurred than ever and we’re all a lot more relaxed about sharing our personal information, is this still a realistic message?

“It’s more important than ever to be careful about what you share in your digital spaces,” says Annie Mullins OBE, who advises us on safety issues at Yubo. “It can be very easy to get caught up in a conversation with someone on social media and think it’s OK to tell them where you live, where you go to college, your phone number or your email address.” 

“Our advice for young people is to put the brakes on and take a moment before sharing this kind of personal information with someone you’ve only chatted to a few times online,” she adds. “It’s often best to err on the side of caution and keep certain personal details to yourself.”

Here at Yubo, we’re committed to helping our users have the best possible experience on the app. That’s why we’ve started asking young people if they are sure they want to share their personal details. We’ve recently introduced a feature in private chat that triggers a pop-up when someone types in a phrase such as ‘I live in London’ and then gives them the opportunity to change their mind about posting it.

Of course, many young people are aware that their data is valuable but, when they feel like they’re talking to someone they trust, they sometimes forget that it could be misused. Even broad information, such as the name of your city or town, could be used to find out your address, places you hang out and who your friends and family are. If you have public profiles on lots of social networks, your digital footprint could provide strangers with valuable information that could be used to coerce you into doing something you don’t want to do.

Still in the early stages, our new pop-up feature is already showing great results: we send around 20,000 pop-ups every day and 12% of our users who see these alerts decide not to send their personal information. The tool uses an algorithm to further enhance our portfolio of innovative safety tools. For example, we also use AI to conduct age checks and we intervene in real-time during live streams when we think someone could be putting themselves or others in danger.

“We try to strike the right balance between encouraging participation and providing protection for the many young people in our community,” says our COO Marc-Antoine Durand. “This new pop-up is a great example of how we help teens to make smart choices. This is about encouraging them to be more cautious and to take control of their digital footprint.”

As we enter the new decade, we’re seeing a greater focus across industry on putting safety at the heart of app and website development and empowering users to better manage their online experience. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has recently introduced a ‘Safety by Design’ initiative, for example. With more than 25 million members all over the world, we will continue to focus on making Yubo a safe space for young people to make new friends – in 2020 and beyond.

Visit the Yubo Safety Center for more information and advice.

Here at Yubo, we’re committed to helping our users have the best possible experience on the app. That’s why we’ve started asking young people if they are sure they want to share their personal details. Yubo's recently introduced a feature in private chat that triggers a pop-up when someone types in a phrase such as ‘I live in London’ and then gives them the opportunity to change their mind about posting it.

Think Before You Send

Real-time intervention on social video: Yubo takes the lead to reduce risks to young people

Here at Yubo, we’re always looking for ways to innovate in online safety. In our previous blog, we explained how we take our responsibility to younger Yubo users very seriously. Since then, we’ve continued working with online safety expert Annie Mullins OBE to put a number of safeguards in place on the app and we’ve recently taken an important step forward by introducing real-time intervention in live streams.

Using a combination of algorithms and human moderators, we monitor activity on Yubo so we can identify users who violate our community guidelines and who could put themselves or others in danger while live streaming. We then take immediate action, sending a message to the user explaining how they have crossed the line, how to change their behavior and what action we’ll take if they don’t comply. Our options include temporarily disabling the live stream and suspending their account.

Yubo is the only social video app to intervene in this way to help keep teens safer. Yes, it’s a bold move. Yes, some young people are surprised when they receive a warning message from us. But we believe the most important thing is to support and protect our users and make the Yubo community an even better place to be.

In this blog, we take a closer look at live intervention and explore how it promotes behavioral change by encouraging Yubo users to stay safer and be more responsible as well as helping to reduce the risk of sexual exploitation and other issues. We also talk to one of our most experienced moderators and find out how our teenage users respond to his messages about inappropriate behavior or unsuitable content they have posted.

“We know there’s more that social networks can do and some sites like Yubo already have good practice on live streaming.” Andy Burrows, Associate Head of Child Safety Online, NSPCC (2018)

Just as teenagers might experiment and test boundaries in real life, the same happens in the digital world. Online, young people might have already seen inappropriate behavior or content and aren’t always sure what’s acceptable. Whether it’s filming themselves in their underwear or making nasty comments about someone, it’s important that they understand and reflect upon the consequences their behavior could have for them and others. Furthermore, as a company, we must be able to take action when we see inappropriate or illegal behavior and content within live streams on Yubo (which we call Lives).

Our community guidelines are essential in setting standards for user behavior — our users have to agree to abide by them and we always refer to them when intervening in live streams. We make it very clear in these guidelines that we have zero tolerance for nudity and posing in underwear in Lives, for example.

Yubo's Take

Here for all of it.