Facebook says it is not dead. Facebook also wants you to know that it is not just for 害羞草研究所渙ld people,害羞草研究所� as young people have been saying for years.
Now, with the biggest thorn in its side 害羞草研究所� TikTok 害羞草研究所� facing heightened government scrutiny amid growing tensions between the U.S. and China, Facebook could, perhaps, position itself as a viable, domestic-bred alternative.
There害羞草研究所檚 just one problem: young adults like Devin Walsh have moved on.
害羞草研究所淚 don害羞草研究所檛 even remember the last time I logged in. It must have been years ago,害羞草研究所� said Walsh, 24, who lives in Manhattan and works in public relations.
Instead, she checks Instagram, which is also owned by Facebook parent company Meta, about five or six times a day. Then there害羞草研究所檚 TikTok, of course, where she spends about an hour each day scrolling, letting the algorithm find things 害羞草研究所淚 didn害羞草研究所檛 even know I was interested in.害羞草研究所�
Walsh can害羞草研究所檛 imagine a world in which Facebook, which she joined when she was in 6th grade, becomes a regular part of her life again.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 the branding, right? When I think of Facebook, I think ugh, like cheugy, older people, like parents posting pictures of their kids, random status updates and also people fighting about political issues,害羞草研究所� Walsh said, using the Gen Z term for things that are definitely not cool.
The once-cool social media platform born before the iPhone is approaching two decades in existence. For those who came of age around the time Mark Zuckerberg launched thefacebook.com from his Harvard dorm room in 2004, it害羞草研究所檚 been inextricably baked into daily life 害羞草研究所� even if it害羞草研究所檚 somewhat faded into the background over the years.
Facebook faces a particularly odd challenge. Today, 3 billion people check it each month. That害羞草研究所檚 more than a third of the world害羞草研究所檚 population. And 2 billion log in every day. Yet it still finds itself in a battle for relevancy, and its future, after two decades of existence.
For younger generations 害羞草研究所� those who signed up in middle school, or those who are now in middle school, it害羞草研究所檚 decidedly not the place to be. Without this trend-setting demographic, Facebook, still the main source of revenue for parent company Meta, risks fading into the background 害羞草研究所� utilitarian but boring, like email.
It wasn害羞草研究所檛 always like this. For nearly a decade, Facebook was the place to be, the cultural touchstone, the thing constantly referenced in daily conversations and late-night TV, its founding even the subject of a Hollywood movie. Rival MySpace, which launched only a year earlier, quickly became outdated as the cool kids flocked to Facebook. It didn害羞草研究所檛 help MySpace害羞草研究所檚 fate that it was sold to stodgy old News Corp. in 2005.
害羞草研究所淚t was this weird combination害羞草研究所o one knew how technology worked, but in order to have a MySpace, we all needed to become mini coders. It was so stressful.害羞草研究所� said Moira Gaynor, 28. 害羞草研究所淢aybe that害羞草研究所檚 even why Facebook took off. Because compared to MySpace it was this beautiful, integrated, wonderful engagement area that we didn害羞草研究所檛 have before and we really craved after struggling with MySpace for so long.害羞草研究所�
Positioning himself a visionary, Zuckerberg refused to sell Facebook and pushed his company through the mobile revolution. While some rivals emerged 害羞草研究所� remember Orkut? 害羞草研究所� they generally petered out as Facebook soared, seemingly unstoppable despite scandals over user privacy and a failure to address hate speech and misinformation adequately. It reached a billion daily users in 2015.
Debra Aho Williamson, an analyst with Insider Intelligence who害羞草研究所檚 followed Facebook since its early days, notes that the site害羞草研究所檚 younger users have been dwindling but doesn害羞草研究所檛 see Facebook going anywhere, at least not any time soon.
害羞草研究所淭he fact that we are talking about Facebook being 20 years old, I think that is a testament of what Mark developed when he was in college. It害羞草研究所檚 pretty incredible,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚t is still a very powerful platform around the world.害羞草研究所�
AOL was once powerful too, but its user base has aged and now an aol.com email address is little more than a punchline in a joke about technologically illiterate people of a certain age.
Tom Alison, who serves as the head of Facebook (Zuckerberg害羞草研究所檚 title is now Meta CEO), sounded optimistic when he outlined the platform害羞草研究所檚 plans to lure in young adults in an interview with The Associated Press.
害羞草研究所淲e used to have a team at Facebook that was focused on younger cohorts, or maybe there was a project or two that was dedicated to coming up with new ideas,害羞草研究所� Alison said. 害羞草研究所淎nd about two years ago we said no 害羞草研究所� our entire product line needs to change and evolve and adapt to the needs of the young adults.害羞草研究所�
He calls it the era of 害羞草研究所渟ocial discovery.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 very much motivated by what we see the next generation wanting from social media. The simple way that I like to describe it is we want Facebook to be the place where you can connect with the people you know, the people you want to know and the people that you should know,害羞草研究所� Alison said.
Artificial intelligence is central to this plan. Just as TikTok uses its AI and algorithm to show people videos they didn害羞草研究所檛 know they wanted to see Facebook is hoping to harness its powerful technology to win back the hearts and eyeballs of young adults. Reels, the TikTok-like videos Facebook and Instagram users are bombarded with when they log into both apps, are also key. And, of course, private messaging.
害羞草研究所淲hat we are seeing is more people wanting to share reels, discuss reels, and we害羞草研究所檙e starting to integrate messaging features back into the app to again allow Facebook to be a place where not only do you discover great things that are relevant to you, but you share and you discuss those with people,害羞草研究所� Alison said.
Facebook has consistently declined to disclose user demographics, which would shed some light on how it is faring among young adults. But outside researchers say their numbers are declining. The same is true for teenagers 害羞草研究所� although Facebook seems to have stepped back from actively recruiting teens amid concerns about social media害羞草研究所檚 effects on their mental health.
害羞草研究所淵oung people often shape the future of communication. I mean, that害羞草研究所檚 basically how Facebook took off 害羞草研究所� young people gravitated toward it. And we we see that happening with pretty much every social platform that has come on the scene since Facebook,害羞草研究所� said Williamson. This year, Insider estimates that about half of TikTok害羞草研究所檚 users are between the ages of 12 and 24.
Williamson doesn害羞草研究所檛 see this trend reversing, but notes that Insider害羞草研究所檚 estimates only go as far as 2026. There害羞草研究所檚 a decline, but it害羞草研究所檚 slow. That year, the research firm expects about 28% of U.S. Facebook害羞草研究所檚 users to be between 18 and 34 years old, compared with nearly 46% for TikTok and 42% for Instagram. The numbers are more stark for teens aged 12-17.
害羞草研究所淚 think the best thing they could do is get away from being a social platform. Like they害羞草研究所檝e lost that. But hey, if they want to become the new Yellow Pages, why not?害羞草研究所� said Gaynor, who lives in San Diego, California and works in government. 害羞草研究所淚 really like Marketplace. I recently just moved, so that was where I got most of my furniture.害羞草研究所�
By Barbara Ortutay
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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