Teens Are Using Facebook Less and Less, New Pew Research Finds

More proof that Facebook is losing the younger generation of social media users has been presented by the Pew Research Center. According to its recent survey, youths are abandoning the social network in droves. This is in stark contrast to how Facebook’s demographic looked when it started, which comprised mostly of teens and young adults.

The survey focused on teens between the ages of 13 and 17 in the U.S., Investopedia reports, and it found that only about 51 percent of them are on Facebook. In comparison, about 69 percent of them are on Snap Inc.’s Snapchat and over 72 percent use Instagram, which is also owned by Facebook.

With regards to the main Facebook platform itself, engagement among users is not what it used to be, especially among teens. The social media site has undergone several evolutions through the years and many would argue that a lot of it was for the worse. An air of prioritizing advertisers and making money has taken over what was once an idealistic company.

Being wrapped up in privacy scandals one after another has damaged Facebook’s image beyond repair. This is starkly represented by a comparison that Fast Company made, which shows that in 2015, 71 percent of teens used the social network.

It’s clear that Mark Zuckerberg’s tech company is heading the way of Friendster if it can’t revitalize interest among younger users. It might still be the biggest social media firm in the world, but that won’t be the case for long if it refuses to change. Having 2.2 billion users right now doesn’t guarantee that those users will stick around forever.

It also doesn’t help that Facebook doesn’t seem to be putting that much effort to distance itself from privacy scandals. In fact, incidents where the social network is involved in customer data abuse have only increased recently, if Zuckerberg’s appearance in front of Congress is any indication.