Due to the lockdowns, millions globally are restrained within their homes to curb the spread of the respiratory infection. People at risk of facing abuse, workers facing job uncertainty, and children are prone to mental health issues, with anxiety issues on the rise during the pandemic. Facebook is adding a new "care" reaction, which can be used to react to posts, comments, images and other content on the social networking platform. Since reactions launched in 2015, the options have been the classic like, love, laughter, shock, sadness, and anger.
We’re launching new Care reactions on @facebookapp and @Messenger as a way for people to share their support with one another during this unprecedented time.
— Alexandru Voica (@alexvoica) April 17, 2020
We hope these reactions give people additional ways to show their support during the #COVID19 crisis. pic.twitter.com/HunGyK8KQw
To activate the reaction, messenger users need to long-press the heart reaction, and the same can be done to revert the process. Alexandru Voica, EMEA Communications Manager for Engineering at Facebook tweeted:
"We know this is an uncertain time, and we wanted people to be able to show their support in ways that let their friends and family know they are thinking of them."
While the feature is being rolled out on Messenger effectively today, the global rollout for Facebook is due next week.