Facebook's Lists are its latest attempt to encourage oversharing
You can make your own lists or copy those of others.
Facebook's latest attempt to get you to post more original content is a feature called Lists. It lets you post a customized list such as "My travel wishlist" or "Goals for the year" and the idea is your Facebook friends will then engage with post, adding suggestions or giving encouragement. You can further personalize your list with various background color options or by adding emojis and Facebook will also provide list suggestions, though you can make up your own as well. Additionally, if someone else's list inspires you -- or infuriates you -- you can mimic theirs and add your own twist.
Facebook has been leaning into the idea of pushing personal and local content over national news. The company announced earlier this year that the site would begin to promote posts from friends, family and groups over those of businesses and media. It also said that it would start to prioritize local news stories in the News Feed and is testing a dedicated local news and events section in six cities across the country. Additionally, going along with its effort to encourage real engagement, Facebook has started to demote posts deemed "engagement bait."
Facebook says Lists are rolling out to users now. However, while iOS users will be able to see others' lists, only Android users will be able to create them for now. There's no word yet on when the feature will come to iOS.
