iWorld
Facebook introduces live interactions by celebrities
NEW DELHI: Athletes, musicians, politicians and other influencers who use Facebook Mentions to share and connect with their fans, can now go Live.
At a time when more than 900 million people are connected to public figures on Facebook, the company launched – Live, a new way for public figures to share live video from Mentions with their fans on Facebook.
With Live, public figures can take fans behind the scenes, host a Q&A, share announcements, and more — all in real time.
Public figures can use Live to grow and engage their fan base. Live is a new way for you to connect authentically with fans in a moment. When one starts a Live video, it will appear in News Feed for the fans to comment, like and share with their friends. People who have recently interacted with posts will also receive a notification when a broadcast starts.
Live can also help interact directly with fans and other public figures in real time, according to Facebook product manager Vadim Lavrusik. During a broadcast, the number of viewers and a real time stream of comments from people tuning in will appear and one can respond to comments live during the broadcast, or choose to hide comments.
A video can be kept by Live for fans to view later. After a broadcast has ended, the video will be published on the Page of the performer so that fans who missed it can watch at a later time, and remove it at any time.
Some live broadcasts that are lined up by public figures in the near future are Dwayne The Rock Johnson, Serena Williams, Luke Bryan, Ricardo Kaká, Ashley Tisdale, Lester Holt, Martha Stewart, Michael Bublé and more.
iWorld
Micro-Dramas Surge in India, Redefining Mobile Content Habits
Meta-Ormax study maps rapid rise of short-form storytelling among 18–44 audiences.
MUMBAI: Micro-dramas aren’t just short, they’re the snack that ate Indian entertainment, and now everyone’s bingeing between the sofa cushions. Meta, in partnership with Ormax Media, has released ‘Micro Dramas: The India Story’, a comprehensive study unveiled at the inaugural Meta Marketing Summit: Micro-Drama Edition. The report maps how the vertical, bite-sized format is reshaping content consumption for mobile-first audiences aged 18–44 across 14 states.
Conducted between November 2025 and January 2026 through 50 in-depth interviews and 2,000 personal surveys, the research reveals that 65 per cent of viewers discovered micro-dramas within the last year proof of explosive adoption. Nearly 89 per cent encounter the format through social feeds and recommendations, making algorithm-driven discovery the primary engine rather than active search.
Key viewing patterns show a median of 3.5 hours per week (about 30 minutes daily) spread across 7–8 short sessions. Consumption peaks between 8 pm and midnight, with additional spikes during commutes and work breaks classic “in-between moments” that the format fills perfectly. Around 57 per cent of viewing happens in ambient mode (while doing something else), and 90 per cent is solo, enabling more intimate, personal storytelling.
Romance, family drama and comedy lead genre preferences. Audiences show growing openness to AI-generated content, 47 per cent find it unique and creative, while only 6 per cent say they would avoid it entirely. Regional languages are surging after Hindi and English, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada dominate consumption.
Meta, director, media & entertainment (India) Shweta Bajpai said, “Micro-drama isn’t a passing trend, it’s rewriting the rules of Indian entertainment. In under a year, an entirely new category of platforms has emerged, built audience habits from scratch, and created a business vertical that is scaling fast.”
Ormax Media founder-CEO Shailesh Kapoor added, “Micro-dramas are beginning to show the early signs of becoming a distinct content category in India’s digital entertainment landscape. When a format aligns closely with how audiences naturally engage with their devices, it has the potential to scale very quickly.”
The study proposes ecosystem-wide responsibility, universal signposting of commercial intent, shared accountability among advertisers, platforms, creators, schools and parents, built-in safeguards, and formal media literacy in schools.
In a feed that never sleeps and a day that never stops, micro-dramas have slipped into the cracks of every spare minute turning 30-second stories into the new national pastime, one vertical swipe at a time.
