Clubhouse
Why the hype and how do I get an invitation?
You can only come to the "Clubhouse" by invitation
© EugeneEdge / Shutterstock.com
At the moment there is hardly an app that is more popular than "Clubhouse". But what exactly is behind the application and how can you participate?
No matter where you hang around in the social networks or on the Internet, you will be followed by the "Clubhouse" app. This is a social media platform that focuses on audio content. There are not thousands of video clips or selfies in a never-ending feed here. Instead, users can take part in discussions on all conceivable topics – as long as they are invited, because not everyone can get into the new clubhouse.
How does "Clubhouse" work?
The idea behind the app is actually quite simple: The application provides international users with a platform on which they can talk or listen to lectures. These conversations take place in separate rooms, which can deal with virtually any imaginable topic. In the "rooms" users take on different roles: There are moderators, speakers and listeners.
The names of the individual roles already provide information about the rights the participants have. While speakers are practically on a digital stage and can easily talk, listeners are the audience and can only listen. You can, however, raise your hand and be brought onto the stage by a moderator in order to then actively participate in the conversation. Whoever opens a room is both a speaker and a moderator. The second person who enters a room automatically becomes the speaker. Each subsequent participant begins as a listener. Moderators can turn speakers back into listeners, for example after they have asked a question.
Why is "Clubhouse" so popular?
The popularity of "Clubhouse" is likely to be due to several factors. In some cases, one of these could be an artificial shortage of access. With the advancing digitization of society – especially with the spread of social media networks – a phenomenon called FOMO has spread in recent years. FOMO stands for "Fear of missing out", the fear that you might miss something – for example an interesting discussion if you are not part of the club.
On the other hand, there is basically the possibility of talking to people who you would otherwise never have met. This is especially exciting because politicians, activists and celebrities have already discovered the app for themselves. The model and It-Girl Paris Hilton (39, "The Party Animals are back") stated recentlythat she loves "Clubhouse", FDP boss Christian Lindner (42) keeps the application for "an exciting experiment" and "Fridays for Future" activist Luisa Neubauer also fights in the clubhouse for the climate.
Why is the "Clubhouse" so exclusive and how do I get access?
"Clubhouse" is currently still in a beta phase, so the basic development of the app has not yet been completed. According to the developers, this is one of the reasons that the platform is currently only accessible by invitation. In addition, it is their opinion that it is important to let a community grow slowly instead of increasing the number of users tenfold overnight.
If you want to appease the FOMO and gain access to the clubhouse, you have two options for obtaining an invitation. Either you receive this invitation from an already registered user with access, for example from a friend, or you register and end up on a waiting list. It remains to be seen when an invitation will actually arrive on the second route. The invitation itself is linked to your own mobile phone number, similar to WhatsApp. The developers promise, however, that everyone should get access as soon as possible. "We are building the 'clubhouse' for everyone and are working to make it available to the world as quickly as possible," said an official statement.
In addition, the application is currently only available for iOS devices. iPhone users can log in, Android users have to stay outside for the time being. In addition, the platform states that participation is only permitted from the age of 18.
Concerns about the "clubhouse"
There is no doubt that the app is right on trend. Moderator and author Micky Beisenherz (43) recently joked about on Twitter: "In which room at #Clubhouse will Merkel announce the new #Corona measures tomorrow?" At the same time, there are also concerns. For example, the application requires access to the stored smartphone contacts. Data from people who do not use the app, nor plan to ever try it out, land on the servers of Alpha Exploration Co., the provider.
While users are not allowed to record and publish conversations without the permission of the other participants, conversations are generally recorded. The privacy policy states that audio will be recorded while a room is open. These are only temporary and are used to investigate reported incidents – for example in the case of cyber bullying. If no complaint is received, the recording will be deleted immediately, otherwise after a review.