Fireworks and Confetti: Apple’s Video Reactions Wreak Havoc at Meetings, Therapy

livemint.com:

Alyssa Nolte, a 33-year-old consultant, was on a somber business call a couple months ago. A client was sharing news about coming layoffs. The client raised her hands and suddenly her screen was filled with balloons.

“We’re all like, ‘What just happened? Oh my gosh,’" says Nolte, who lives in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The meeting had just been hijacked by the latest tech that has us cringing at work: the new Apple camera effect that made its debut in a September software update for Macs and other devices. Users are inadvertently triggering deluges of fireworks, rain, thumbs-down signs and even on-screen laser shows at all the wrong times: board meetings, therapy sessions, during a pitch to potential investors.

The new Apple feature is part of a long line of fun, cheeky extras intended to humanize the technology in our lives. But sometimes they cause awkward silence instead. Remember the Texas lawyer who turned himself into a cat during a court appearance? Apple’s new flourish has begun interrupting serious discussions, too.

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman recently released confetti during a live Zoom interview on MSNBC. He didn’t respond to requests for comment.

During video calls, people on newer Macs running MacOS Sonoma (and other recently updated Apple devices) can use hand gestures to set off the eight 3-D effects, called “reactions." If someone holds, say, a thumb up or down, a transparent bubble appears with the corresponding hand sign. A peace sign triggers balloons, while a double peace sign fills the screen with confetti. The reactions have been on by default, resulting in emoji misfires, especially for people who like to talk with their hands.