Teens may be getting bored with Facebook and trying out other social networks such as Instagram, and the social networking giant is aware of the trend.
A report on BusinessInsider said Facebook itself noted the trend in its annual 10-K report, where it said its younger users are engaging with "other" products and services.
"We believe that some of our users, particularly our younger users, are aware of and actively engaging with other products and services similar to, or as a substitute for, Facebook. For example, we believe that some of our users have reduced their engagement with Facebook in favor of increased engagement with other products and services such as Instagram," it quoted Facebook as saying.
Such a trend may lead to "a decline in user engagement and our business could be harmed," it quoted Facebook as saying.
BusinessInsider also quoted Adam Ludwin, developer of social photo album app Albumatic, as saying most members of a focus group of people under age 25 told him they did not like how the app relied heavily on Facebook.
"They gave me the typical teenage response: 'We're bored with Facebook,'" Ludwin told Business Insider.
Even Branch CEO Josh Miller recently asked his 15-year-old sister if she still used Facebook - and learned teens are more fascinated with Instagram and Snapchat.
"She mentioned that she tries to visit Facebook as infrequently as possible," he wrote.
He also said his sister told him she only visits Facebook after she is finished with Instagram.
Not even Facebook Chat could give Facebook much help - Miller quoted his sister as saying that when one goes on Facebook Chat, "the people you don’t want to talk to are always the ones who immediately chat with you.”
But BusinessInsider noted teens are not quite closing the door on Facebook and deleting their profiles from the site.
"They're just looking to use the service less, and they're open to communicating on other platforms," it said.
Besides, it said Instagram is a property of Facebook, and founder Mark Zuckerberg "can still monetize them on mobile devices." — TJD, GMA News
source: gmanetwork.com
