Life
My First Week on Clubhouse
Get rid of the dial-in numbers, URLs, links, and obnoxious zoom backgrounds. Strip out the awkwardness of wondering if you should turn your camera on. Then find a seat, open up Clubhouse on your iOS mobile device of choice and tap on a room that interests you for an audio-first chat experience. You might be wondering, what is Clubhouse? How I like to refer to it is that whatever conversation you can run into or find in the world, you’ll find on Clubhouse. With a $1B valuation, the app went from 2 million users in January 2021 to over 13 million users here in May — seeing rapid growth.
There are multiple articles out that can help you get started quickly and find who is most influential on the app. Instead of giving you the complete rundown or retelling on that spectrum, I thought a more interesting read would be recapping my first week on the app. Clubhouse does this peculiar thing with it’s new users. After you’ve successfully been able to secure an invite from someone and setup your account, your profile receives this “party popper” icon whenever you’re in and out of rooms.
The thing to know about this is that it categorizes you as “new” to the community. After 7-days, you’ll see this drop off.
My Experience
I was hesitant to join at first. Would this be another app to my downfall? Adding to my already high screen time percentage for the week? What value could it bring me that I don’t already have? I was willing to give it a shot, but needed a little push.
If someone were to ask me where I stand on the social scale, I’d say I’m an ambivert. Give or take the setting and who I’m with. But I’ll have to admit, when that social anxiety starts to kick in — I’m looking for that corner of the room to blend into.
Nerve racking but also a sense of reassurance, there’s something about eliminating the visual aspect of connecting that makes it easier — Basing it solely on verbal communication.
I jumped in head first, taking a dive into my first room from the Ad Culture club. A community of positive voices that merge around all things advertising and agency culture. When the room wrapped up, I was encouraged to join another where I could raise my hand and be brought up to the stage. I was nervous but I knew it had to be somewhere where I would feel the most comfortable — Haitians Link Up. Within 15 minutes, someone called my name. The visual signs of nervousness were shadowed by my smiling profile icon lighting up to the sound of my voice. I spoke. And then sat there for a second…, “well that was interesting.” I could literally be physically anywhere, attending these open virtual spaces, and connecting with people I normally wouldn’t have. I spoke again. This time with a little more pep in my step. Although I felt bad interrupting, jumping in to ask questions and speak my peace felt liberating. I had a voice behind the mic. Or in this case, my iPhone X.
There are a variety of clubs to choose from. I chose to start small by joining the clubs that spark the same interest — Connecting with others in the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area, listening in on hot topics from celebrities and well known influencers, travel tips and tricks from fellow black travelers. The list is endless, go explore and see where the adventure takes you next.
Will Clubhouse Last?
Before the pandemic began, you would have to pay to go to conferences to hear people speak. Be cramped up side to side with folks in a conference room or in audience seating. Much of what Clubhouse is simulating on the app signals our deep human desire for connection and most importantly for the platform — be heard.
Honestly, there are a lot of people who enjoy hearing themselves speak and a lot of clickbait titles. Conversations are happening all the time, so for anyone in their first week on the app, don’t feel like you’re missing out on anything and protect your energy.
As the population become more comfortable with going outside again in a safe manner, now that the Covid vaccine is available for all adults, will the last thing they want to do is stare at a Clubhouse app? Only time will tell, but the medium for now is here to last and I think there can be a “both and.” Where we take conversations to the app when we don’t want to go out and do the beautiful thing of meeting up with new friends from Clubhouse that we never met before. A reunion of sorts. Back like we never left.
So while I can’t say that I’ve grown to love the app in the short couple months that I’ve been on, I do believe that Clubhouse has potential to last and strive post pandemic.
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