"Hey, have you joined that Clubhouse yet?"
This past week, you probably come across this question once or twice from your friend who either 1) drools hard to get that exclusive invite to be in the club or 2) is so obsessed with it that they want to brag to you about the privilege to be in the club. But the true question here is "what's the deal with this Clubhouse thingy that Thai people are super crazy right now?"
Well, let's find out together with us.
What is Clubhouse?
Clubhouse is an audio-based social networking app that allows you to talk with strangers in a virtual room under a specific topic set by the host. Clubhouse is a super new app; it's first launched in 2020 by California-based software developer Alpha Exploration.
How does it work?
You can basically join the Clubhouse world in two roles: the member or the host. First, you can pick a room with the theme that looks right up in your alley and start the talking game by clicking on a hand icon—how polite!—or you can be a fly on the wall in the room, listening to other members yakkety-yak.
But if you feel like opening up a whole new topic and wonder what other people will have a say on it, just be a host and open a chat room. Very convenient. All in all, it's like—say—a live podcast. No recording. No text. Only real-time talking.
Regarding what you can talk about—well, there are currently no boundaries. At the moment, there is a massive range of topics created by users, from intense political discussion, to foodies' talkies, to even karaoke sessions. We Thai people really win this game, don't you think?
Ooh, that sounds nice. Can I join it?
Oh, yes defo—only you have an iPhone! Clubhouse is currently available on iOS, which has left all the Android devotees hanging out to dry. Soz.
BUT—don't get too cocky yet, only because you have an iPhone. To be in this exclusive society, you also need an invitation from someone who's already in. One user can merely send two invitations, so now it's your mission to snatch that membership.
We almost forgot—but no surprise, the app is banned in China, so if you're living there, sorry again.
So why did it break out of the blue?
It's not that easy to track who started this whole Clubhouse hype in Thailand, but the thought leaders are truly responsible for it. In fact, Elon Musk has basically credited for making the app famous in the States and beyond when tweeted that he would host a talk show in the app about his dream to live on Mars, and there were some people who sold the invitation for 100 USD. (Prepare to see some Thai users begin this cheeky biz real soon.)
Alongside the sought-after membership, a horde of Thai celebrities and famous scholars has accelerated the hype even stronger as they come up with a lot of intriguing stuff to get the discussion going.
The pandemic potentially plays an important role in boosting the mania as well. Many people are seeking shelter in their own place and get quite lonely, and talking to other human beings, therefore, seems not to be a bad idea at the moment.
What else should I know about this app?
Since Clubhouse has almost no limitations for those who want to raise their voice in the room—apart from being approved to speak by the host—it means you have to use your critical thinking to screen what's true and whatnots all by yourself. And always remember: "words can kill", so be kind.
What do we think will happen to this Clubhouse craze?
Like all other hot trends in the country, they come and they go—and Clubhouse probably can't escape this fate. To be fair, it could stay here forevermore if enough interesting things keep coming up to attract listeners/speakers to the platform. However, there are a certain number of people to tried it and got bored pretty quickly after that.
All in all, Clubhouse seems to be quite an amusing thing that happens during this dull time amidst the pandemic. Also, the platform enables people to speak up their minds more easily, which brings about some improvement in this country where freedom of speech is, well, interesting.
So if you haven't participated in Clubhouse, maybe it's time to test the water now before the hype is gone.