Meta is putting in efforts to make its digital avatars more
interesting and interactive. The company had earlier introduced 3D avatars on
Facebook, Messenger and within stickers on Instagram, and is now bringing avatar
reactions to Instagram Stories.
Meta is testing the option of reacting to Stories with new Avatar
reactions that have been spotted by some users on the app. The option also
prompts users who haven’t created their avatars by directing them to customize
their avatar characters.
It seems like Meta wants its users to become more habituated
to avatar customization and using the characters as a way to showcase their presence
on Meta’s platforms. Since VR is one of the company’s main focuses, choosing to
add avatar-related options seems like a good implementation.
Moreover, the expansion of this feature would also help Meta
in maximizing opportunities to sell virtual items within its evolving spaces,
the same way Snapchat uses Bitmoji to grow its eCommerce practices.
