Google employee explicitly calls out iMessage for lock-in and bullying

Can we, just for a minute, acknowledge how ridiculous this is? Blaming an app for teenage actions? Groups of teenagers have formed a clique over the color of their messages. Oh well. If it wasn't message bubble color it's going to be, and has been, many other things. Teenagers are idiots when it comes to trying to form some sort of superiority over their peers. For many of them, their value comes not from the skills they are able to learn and utilize but from an arbitrary distinction that is somehow able to be spun as socially more desirable.

To be honest, I feel sorry for these kids whose parents capitulated and bought them a second smart phone instead of trying to teach their teenager that the color of a text bubble doesn't matter and if the people they are associating with are going to place superfluous value on it then maybe it is time to look at spending time with other people.

"After ruining Android messaging, Google says iMessage is too powerful"

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/01/after-ruining-androi...

Despite enjoying and empathizing with the cynical take of the Ars article, RCS does seem like a good idea. I hope it's implemented