Venmo , the payment app that automatically sets transaction to "public," is offering an unlikely look into people's isolation habits.- Some people are planning vacations during the pandemic, while others are sending
money for canceled plans to continue physical distancing.
People have been on high-alert when it comes to social habits during lockdown.
We've seen the rise of "mask-shaming," with reports of people chastising others who break mask-wearing mandates. Some people have admitted to posting misleading social-media updates, making it look like they're at home, when in fact they are getting haircuts or hanging out with friends — activities that many consider illicit during the pandemic.
But the payment app Venmo, where payments are automatically set to "public" and friends can see who in their circle has completed a transaction, is offering an unlikely look into how people are spending their days during the coronavirus pandemic, thanks to its feeds of transactions between friends, families, and business owners.
Scrolling through Venmo has always been a pastime for social media savants.
—Chiara Atik (@ChiaraAtik) April 20, 2014
But while people are largely stuck at home, some say the transactions feel even juicier.
"When I see Venmo [transactions], I can see who is really connected to who," a 23-year-old New York resident, who asked to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, told Insider.
"If they're paying each other, they must be real friends, not acquaintances. It also tells me about people's lifestyles in different ways than Instagram would. I see it down to the very tasks that require payment," he said.
Some people are publicly paying for haircuts. One Venmo user said he doesn't mind others judging.
When you log into Venmo, it automatically generates a feed that shows the payments and payment requests of anyone in your cell phone contacts. When making or requesting a payment, the app requires you include a description. It can be descriptive or cryptic, but the emojis often give away the gist of it.
Though these payments can be set to private so only the sender and receiver can see what the transaction was for, many people keep their transactions public. It's unclear whether they don't realize they're sharing their recent Taco Bell benders and Airbnb rental plans with every acquaintance they know, or if they simply don't care.
During the coronavirus outbreak, use of the haircut emoji has risen, despite many states' declarations that the businesses are non-essential and must remain closed.
A 25-year-old Pennsylvania resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said he didn't realize his Venmo payments were public until a friend told him. He said his barber has been doing house calls while his shop is closed, and that's what he paid for on Venmo.
"At this point, since I know he is still following the safety guidelines and keeping his shop closed, I have no problem with the transactions being public. I was not worried about being judged about it," the source said.
People are paying for surreptitious getaways, and it's not going unnoticed
Scrolling through a Venmo feed, even during lockdown, it's not uncommon to see people charging their friends for vacations and even flights, often with cryptic captions.
The Poconos mountain region in eastern Pennsylvania is home to lakes and hiking areas people travel to in the warmer months.
OBX is an abbreviation for the Outer Banks, a group of small islands in North Carolina that are a popular east-coast vacation spot.
This one is self-explanatory.
Some people included extra notes in their Venmo transactions to signal they're planning trips, but they might fall through.
These transactions haven't gone unnoticed, and those who check out their Venmo feeds for fun said they've judged people based on their transaction history.
—Andrew Elizabeth Methyd (@andrewasei) May 17, 2020
—Lindsay Smith (@LindsayASmith_) May 19, 2020
—Potential Spam (@BranJoseph) May 14, 2020
It's not all bad. Many are doling out vacation-rental and event refunds.
A recent study of emoji use on Venmo suggests people are choosing to stay home and put their money towards their humble abodes.
Emojis that signify food and drinks, like the pizza and beer emojis, have seen a decline in usage on Venmo, Quartz reported. On the other hand, use of the house emoji, mask emoji, and red heart emoji increased. These transactions were often accompanied by messages like, "Groceries. Thank you son love you," followed by the red heart emoji.
I saw plenty of app users sending friends and family refunds for now-cancelled events.
Luckily you can still drink beer from the comfort of your own home.
—Ted Zeunik (@TZeunik) March 27, 2020
—Grace Riley (@_gracer) March 20, 2020
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