Clubhouse: Yet Another Social Network?

Abstract

Clubhouse is the new social networking app that was first launched in April 2020. Envisioned as a live streaming audio chat without the familiar nuisance of video calls, text messaging or monetization options, it started positioning itself as an “alternative” social network and quickly gained worldwide popularity. However, one might wonder whether Clubhouse offers anything novel after all. Viewed through the prism of the frequent social network users, it features a mixture of audio podcasting, talk radio, and conference call all wrapped in one package. Moreover, it is difficult to believe it would have achieved such a popularity without the COVID-19 pandemic that introduced social distancing and lockdowns.

Keywords: social networks, Clubhouse, COVID-19, socializing, pandemic, human contact, digital media

JEL Classification: A13, D91, L82