Snap's (SNAP 2.42%) Zenly location-sharing app is gamifying social distancing by launching a Stay At Home challenge.
Through the app, users can see a leaderboard of friends who have spent the most time at home during a three day period. To keep users engaged, they can share stickers and tips to stay safe during the pandemic on Snapchat and other social media apps.
IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.
The game is an about-face for Zenly, which is designed to encourage people to share their location as they move about outside of their homes. However, with social distancing an important tool to slow the spread of coronavirus, technology companies are going to great lengths to encourage people to stay home.
Last week Facebook (META 3.15%) launched the Information Center, a new feature that provides factual and up-to-date information about the coronavirus. It also encourages Facebook's 2.5 billion users to practice social distancing. "The broad consensus is that the biggest role we can help play is encouraging people to take the social distancing orders seriously," said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Zenly's parent Snap has tried to position itself as a beacon of accurate information in the social sphere, which has faced widespread criticism about coronavirus misinformation. Snap recently teamed up with the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control to provide users with information and launched a filter alongside the WHO providing ways to stay safe.
