Less-cool Facebook losing youth at fast pace
Less-cool Facebook losing youth at fast pace: survey
Facebook is still growing in the US market, according to
research firm, mainly due to increases in usage by older age groups
February 12, 2018
APF
With mom, dad and grandma signing up in increasing
numbers, Facebook is losing younger users in the United States at a faster pace
than previously estimated, researchers said Monday.
A report by eMarketer said Snapchat is drawing youths
away from Facebook at a quicker clip than Facebook-owned Instagram.
Facebook is still growing in the US market, according to
research firm, mainly due to increases in usage by older age groups.
The report is the latest to highlight Facebook's problem
with attracting and keeping young people, who have long been a core user base
for the world's biggest social network.
The research firm said it expected the first-ever decline
in the 18-24 age group in the US, a drop of 5.8 percent this year.
It also said that for the first time since its research
began, less than half of the 12-17 age group in the United States would be on
Facebook, with a 5.6 percent drop in that segment.
The under-12 age group meanwhile will see a decline of
9.3 percent this year, eMarketer said.
The same trend is expected to continue into 2019 and
2020, with declines in all segments of US users under 25, the report added.
Facebook will lose an estimated two million users under
25 this year, with Snapchat and Instagram the main beneficiaries.
The report said Snapchat will add 1.9 million users under
25 in 2018 and Instagram will add 1.6 million.
Snapchat, which is known for its disappearing messages,
will continue to have more users aged 12 to 24 than Instagram, the researchers
said.
But Snapchat could end up facing a similar problem as it
seeks to increase its user base and reach all ages.
"Snapchat could eventually experience more growth in
older age groups, since it's redesigning its platform to be easier to
use," eMarketer analyst Debra Aho Williamson said.
"The question will be whether younger users will
still find Snapchat cool if more of their parents and grandparents are on it.
That's the predicament Facebook is in."
Facebook remains the most popular social network in the
US market with an estimated 169.5 million users this year, according to
eMarketer.
But faster-growing Instagram will be used by 104.7
million Americans and Snapchat will reach 86.5 million users, according to the
forecast.
Last year, eMarketer predicted Facebook would see
declines among some youths for the first time in its history.
A report last year by investment firm Piper Jaffray
showed Snapchat is the preferred social network for US teens, with 47 percent
using the platform.
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