FaceTime is the new WhatsApp for people under the age of 25.

There’s now something called “spontaneous FaceTime”, where people randomly initiate video calls instead of texting, calling or sending a voice note like normal people.

The FaceTime trend was the inspiration for FlexTime – not to be confused with Flexitime, the payroll app.

FlexTime allows users to simulate a FaceTime call with a celebrity by using clips from various live streams and Instagram stories posted over the last year.

Here’s The Verge:

The idea began as a possible stunt for Brooklyn-based creative agency MSCHF. It quickly picked up speed, however, when the team started realizing how important FaceTime was to a generation of kids, strategist Daniel Greenberg tells The Verge.

“Millennials are all about texting,” Greenberg says of the now-aging generation being supplanted by current teenagers. “Everyone my age and younger is always FaceTiming. I have gone to many a bar in Brooklyn and pretended that I was talking to Post Malone and so people have believed it.”

Take a second to think about the type of people you would attract if they thought you were friends with Post Malone or Kim Kardashian. Now destroy your phone to eliminate all risk of that ever happening.

Fake celeb calls are one thing, but now influencers are getting on board to create customised call videos for you to interact with.

Five Instagram and YouTube influencers — KushPapi, Milan Mirabella, Tydus Talbott, Bryce Hall, and Joey Birlem — are working with FlexTime to create individual landing pages where fans can use exclusive simulated FaceTime conversations.

Am I the only one picking up on how sad this all is?

Look, if you really want to talk to a celebrity, there’s an easier way.

The TIMON app lets you speak directly to over 100 experts in real time, including some top-notch SA celebs like Jeannie D and Jack Parow.

You want industry advice from Jeannie D, or do you want to book her for an event, without all the laborious emails that you need before you get through? Open the TIMON app, ask Jeannie D for a chat, and off you go.

The same app will link you to lawyers, car experts, business gurus, famous sports people and more.

Click here to download the app, or search for TIMON on both the iOS and Android app stores.

[source:verge]