By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Facebook is about to create its own version of Bitmoji; heres what it looks like
b7c5b7e3516f51be7787ccd3f5dda20dd25b80b12e7ad418ea6d142c8f23be53
Facebooks Android app has some code that calls for Facebook avatars, though that aspect of the code has yet to be released. - photo by Herb Scribner
Facebook is adding a new avatar feature that is definitely not in any way Bitmojis (except they totally are).

According to TechCrunch, Facebooks Android app has some code that calls for Facebook Avatars, though that aspect of the code has yet to be released.

These avatars essentially would be animated versions of Facebook users. You would have the opportunity to change your avatar's hairstyle, skin color and appearance to look more like you.

A Facebook spokesman confirmed to TechCrunch that the avatars are coming.

Were looking into more ways to help people express themselves on Facebook, the spokesman said.

But the feature is still in development. Facebook remains unsure when it will launch to the public.

However, Facebook already has a description of the feature for users, according to TechCrunch.

Your Facebook Avatar is a whole new way to express yourself on Facebook. Leave expressive comments with personalized stickers. Use your new avatar stickers in your Messenger group and private chats.

If this sounds familiar, its because youre probably one of the people who has downloaded Bitmoji, an app that has sat on the top 10 charts of app downloads for months. That app already integrates with Snapchat. People who use Bitmoji build their avatars for use in Snapchat or other messaging apps.

Facebook has already started using cartoon avatars for other features, like virtual reality, according to Mashable. In fact, Facebook upgraded its virtual reality avatars to be more realistic and look more like humans.

The company said it will eventually allow its artificial intelligence system to create avatars on its own.

Still, we wouldn't be surprised if users will instead create these avatars the old-fashioned way, by adding traits to a blank starter face, Mashable reported. You know, definitely not the way you create a Bitmoji.

Bitmojis parent company Bitstrips first rose to fame in 2008. People used the service to create their own avatars for, funnily enough, their Facebook profile pictures, according to Engadget.

Snapchat later acquired Bitmoji, which is owned by Bitstrips, in 2016.

Bitmoji is consistently in the top of app charts, sometimes even ahead of Snapchat and Facebook, so it's a surprise Facebook has waited so long to get in on the action, according to Engadget. But in order to avoid simply being a clone of other offerings it'll have to take some time to make its own avatar feature something special.
Sign up for our E-Newsletters
How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
ce406c66b9871a104ac24256a687e4821d75680dcfc89d9e5398939543f7f88f
A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
Latest Obituaries