Do you?
Teenagers are finding Facebook less appealing than they once did and are spending less time on the social network site. In fact 170,000 users say that Facebook is nowhere near as ‘cool’ as it used to be according to MarketPilgrim.com.
50% of people involved in the study said that they were gradually using Facebook less and less in their everyday lives because it’s boring.
It would appear that Instagram and messaging apps are the forefront of communication between teens now.
Facebook might have more users now according to GlobalWebIndex, but people are posting less photos and messaging each other far less in the last two years.
There are two possibilities here- that apps are slowly taking over Facebook in terms of a person’s main form of communication with the world- why not? It’s faster and posts need less of an explanation. Maybe people are tired of having their lives on show. Perhaps as a nation we have finally realised that we have simply shared too much and now we are dialling it back.
Although the messaging has sloped off on Facebook, its most popular users are still teens, with WhatsApp lagging behind.
Could it be that teenagers have shorter attention spans for new technology? Maybe the older among us have been on Facebook since the beginning and so feel obligated to stick with it?
When I asked around- respondents had their own versions of why Facebook might be falling behind in the social network arena- one said- ‘the game apps on your phone could be easier and quicker to access, leaving those on Facebook neglected.’
Another person suggested that Facebook is only as interesting as you make it; those people you have befriended and their shared content. ‘Maybe older users have a wider range of friends on their list and consequently the posts are much more varied. If you only befriend people in your age group and your closest groups of friends then perhaps you are limiting yourself to the information you are exposing yourself too. He suggested that if you are bored with Facebook then perhaps take a look at who you are connecting with. It might help if you join groups that cater to your interests to expand your horizons.’