Research and Insights: Does the Popularity of Clubhouse Mean the “Good Old Days” are Back?
One week ago, I posted a message on Twitter asking my friends whether they could invite me to join the Clubhouse app. The new app, which launched last year, is an invitation-only, audio-based service where users can pop into a variety of “chat rooms” to listen in on and participate in conversations. It has quickly been adapted by the tech community.
I waited until two in the morning to finally secure an invite from my wife’s friend from Japan. I started flipping through a list of “events” that the app algorithm had pushed to me, popping in and out of the “rooms” to listen to conversations. Somehow, all of this brought back childhood memories when we dialed the radio to find a channel we wanted to listen to. Are the good old days back?
As a computer-mediated communication scholar, I am curious about the unique features of this app. How is it different from podcasts? How is it different from the radio? How is it different from Facebook or Twitter? It appears that four major factors may have contributed or will eventually determine its adoption in the market, especially after the halo of the app fades away. Currently, participation is invite-only by existing users or joinable from a waitlist and the app is available only in the Apple app store.
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