Facebook is offering a new reaction emoji that it hopes will bring its two billion global users closer together during the pandemic.
The “Care Reaction” shows a yellow face hugging a heart and will be an additional option besides the other reaction buttons, which include anger, sadness, love, and more, Deadline reports. Users will be able to show a greater depth of emotion in response to posts, comments, images, videos, and other content.
The emoji will be available to use starting next week. Facebook is also spearheading a similar endeavor on Facebook Messenger, where users will be given the choice to press and hold a vibrating heart button.
On Friday, Facebook tech communications manager Alexandru Voica tweeted that the new emoji is “a way for people to share their support with one another during this unprecedented time.”
Fidji Simo, head of the Facebook app, told USA Today that the emoji is “for when a regular heart does not feel like enough.”
“This idea of a hug reaction came back consistently as one of the emotions and feelings that were missing from reactions. So that’s something that was always on our minds,” she added. “And with the crisis that we are going through right now, there is no doubt that people need more compassion, more support.”
“We hope this helps you, your family and your friends feel a bit more connected.”
According to Simo, Facebook had been looking to add new emojis to the social media platform before the virus’ outset. “This current crisis really shows a range of people struggling with very different kinds of things,” she said. “People who are sick or taking care of sick ones. People who are losing their jobs. People who are stuck at home home-schooling their kids. Everyone right now has something in their lives that requires support.”
Facebook also recently announced a new page on its platform called Community Help. Through the philanthropic feature, people can donate or ask for essential items, such as baby supplies, business support, food, information, toiletries, transportation, and volunteer work.
