The decline of the first social network: is this the end of Facebook?

It began as a “face book”: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends wanted to establish a social network that would be a kind of cycle book where members could peek into each other’s home living room and communicate with each other. What started as a simple idea to share information and connect with each other, quickly became a digital revolution that changed the face of global communication. At the beginning of its journey, the network was called “TheFacebook” and was available only to students. In a short time it spread to other campuses in the United States and became accessible to the general public.

Facebook offered its users an innovative platform that had never been seen before – a place where they could share updates from their lives, photos, videos and create new relationships with friends and family. The launch of features like “Newsfeed” in 2006 changed the way people consume information, making using the web a daily activity for millions. Strategic acquisitions of competing companies, such as Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014, strengthened Facebook’s position as a leader in social networks.

However, in the last decade it is evident that the position of Facebook is being undermined, especially among the younger generation. The young people, who were the main target audience at the beginning of its journey, are starting to abandon it in favor of other platforms such as Tiktok, Snapchat and Instagram. This transition is due to several factors.

Facebook has become a network that is increasingly associated with adults, which creates a feeling of discomfort in young people. For many, the idea of ​​sharing personal lives on a platform where their parents, grandparents and even teachers are also not appealing. The competition from innovative apps like TikTok is another challenge. Tiktok offers a format of short and dynamic videos, which is adapted to the fast consumption habits of the younger generation. This format, which combines entertainment, creativity and personal expression, has made it a favorite destination for young users, while Facebook is seen as outdated and loaded with irrelevant content and features.

Privacy scandals such as the Cambridge Analytica affair in 2018 have severely damaged Facebook’s reputation. Many of the young people, who attach great importance to privacy, were fed up with the feeling of insecurity created by the platform following the revelations about the use of personal data for political and commercial purposes. Meanwhile, Facebook’s image as a network characterized by fake news, toxic political debates and controversial content alienated many who sought a more pleasant and lighter social experience.

Despite all this, Facebook still has impressive numbers of monthly active users, mainly in developing countries, where it is used as a major communication tool. Small and medium businesses continue to use Facebook as a main platform for marketing and advertising, and from an economic point of view, Facebook maintains a solid position. But the decline in user engagement and the time they spend online poses a significant challenge to Meta, Facebook’s parent company.

Meta is aware of these changes and is trying to implement strategies that will bring Facebook back to the center of things. One of the main moves of the company is the investment in Metaverse, an interactive virtual world that should serve as the future of digital communication. In addition, Facebook is trying to improve the user experience by simplifying the platform and focusing on groups and communities, which continue to be a point of attraction for some users. Meta also invests in the development of algorithms based on artificial intelligence, the purpose of which is to present personalized content and improve the browsing experience on the platform.
Facebook’s big challenge is to reinvent itself and regain its relevance, especially for a young audience looking for new and more exciting experiences. Facebook, which changed the face of digital communication in the world, is facing the test of time. Will you be able to maintain your position or will you remain as a nostalgic memory from the past? Only the future will answer that.

“Facebook has been praised for a very long time,” explains Dr. Carmel Weissman, a researcher of digital culture from Tel Aviv University, “but the data indicates that it is still a network that quite a lot of people access. The young people abandoned Facebook a long time ago, but I’m always surprised that many of them still maintain some sort of presence, and know that there are things for which you still need to log into Facebook.”

And Zuckerberg’s social network has several advantages over the other platforms. Facebook allows the uploading of verbal posts of almost unlimited length, while on the other hand the corresponding networks are not built for a lot of text with the understanding that young people’s attention span is short. Even the calm discourse of Facebook, which is less violent than its younger brother Twitter where the level of control is low and also allows the uploading of toxic verbal content, still attracts users who want a less violent and less frenetic platform.

However, it seems that the main advantage of Facebook lies in the forums. Dr. Weissman: “This is the only network that allows you to participate in forums of any kind. “Whether you have a disease, have a hobby or are interested in a travel itinerary somewhere in the world, you can find your peer group on Facebook forums where you can find event schedules, information and the possibility to ask your friends anything you need.”

Facebook is not going to die, claims Dr. Weissman: “Two years ago, a study claimed that Facebook would mostly become a graveyard where you can find mostly people who have passed away, rather than people who are still alive. Facebook has already been eulogized many times and it is clear that as soon as there is something better, you switch to it. But people don’t really leave. They peek at the other networks, and still maintain a presence on Facebook. She still has many problems to solve, but the strength of her old forums is irreplaceable, and once Facebook strengthens this voice of hers, she will grow and stay here for a long time.”