Social Media platform popularity continues to change.
In 2017, 86% of Facebook users and 71% of YouTube users were 18-29 years old; where only 7% of Instagram users were 60 years and up.
For years Facebook has been in top 3 but according to researchers, things could soon change, especially from the business perspective. In February 2018, there are 164.58 million users on Facebook and 105 million on Facebook messenger.
According to this article about Generation Z (people born between 1995-2010) are straying away from Facebook and by the time these teens are of age they will potentially kill Facebook. Gen Z tends to use Snapchat and Instagram rather than older Millennials who use Facebook.
There’s conflicting information out there. One article states that Millennials and Generation Z aren’t using Facebook as often anymore; that they prefer Snapchat and Instagram. While another says Facebook is the most popular among this age group followed by YouTube and Instagram then Twitter then Snapchat. These two graphs from 2017 and 2018, show statistics listing Facebook still as number 1.
With the current reform of Facebook underway, users who previously stopped using it are contemplating returning to the platform.
Here are some responses from a few Generation Y/Millennials:
“I feel that Facebook is just as popular as it was 5 years ago. It’s the easiest way to keep up with all my classmates over the years and relatives across the states. I personally only use Facebook and Instagram, and I don’t really see the hype about Twitter. it’s hard to keep up with anyone. Things change so much over time, MySpace used to be the big thing and then Facebook came along.
Kids nowadays are all about messenger and Snapchat. They don’t seem to get into posting on sites where everyone can see what they are doing. They send things to individual people and have conversations online. By the time my kids become teenagers, there will probably be a new social site that will take over Facebook. Just as Facebook took over MySpace.” -Christy S.
“Facebook was a huge part of my high school and college life. I used it to keep up with friends and acquaintances. But just like graduating from high school, you slowly realize you only spoke or hung out with specific people because you saw them every day. I also realized that many status updates from some were just bragging or complaining about unimportant, little things.
The advertisements and news articles that constantly were on my newsfeed made it infuriating to use. And many of them were not censored. I should not have to worry about scrolling through Facebook and seeing a LIVE birth of a human child! I don’t understand how that was allowed or snuck through the posting policy. The ads and articles were the last straw for me.
From there I moved to Snapchat to only talk to close friends. I don’t use snapchat anymore either. Here’s where I began using Twitter which is now my main source of social media interaction. I can follow friends, entertainers, gaming companies, all in the same place and I can manage what I want to see easily. Instagram is a similar platform, but I don’t like posting pictures often so I haven’t tried it just yet.
I heard Facebook is redesigning itself in some way, so I may take a look at it again, but I will definitely have to purge my friends list first.
Now, will Gen Z kill Facebook? I don’t think they’ll kill it, they just won’t use it. Facebook will still exist regardless of the new generation. Facebook has become a platform for young adults, adults and the older generation, like grandparents, to keep in touch with family and friends. Kids these days just want entertainment, so they will go elsewhere for it.” -Olivia B.
Social media trends will always be changing and unpredictable. It’s hard to measure what will become popular among younger audiences especially those who are not even teens yet. What viewers that young want is entertainment, not too much text and something moving on the screen like a gif or video. Facebook will survive, at least for a little while longer, but only with the adults and young adults 30+.
What do you think the top social media platforms will be in 2025?
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