Facebook, once the leader in social media, now faces an uphill battle to maintain its relevance—especially among younger generations. With platforms like TikTok and Snapchat capturing the attention of Gen Z, Facebook is making strategic moves to stay in the game. But how is it managing this shift, and what real actions are being taken to ensure its survival?
The Decline in Popularity Among Young Users
Over the past few years, Facebook has seen a dramatic decrease in usage among younger demographics. A 2023 Pew Research report revealed that only 32% of U.S. teens aged 13-17 are using Facebook, down from 71% in 2015. The rise of short-form, video-first platforms like TikTok has been a key factor in this shift, as younger users prefer fast, visually stimulating content.
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s co-founder and CEO, acknowledged these challenges, stating: “We’re retooling our teams to make serving young adults their north star rather than optimizing for the larger number of older people”
Facebook’s Real Actions to Survive the Decline
In response to these shifts, Facebook (now Meta Platforms) has taken several concrete steps to evolve its platform, adding new features and adapting to changing user preferences. Here are the key actions Facebook is taking:
Introducing Reels: Competing with TikTok
One of Facebook’s major responses to declining youth engagement is the launch of Reels on both Facebook and Instagram. Reels, Facebook’s answer to TikTok, is a short-form video feature that allows users to create, edit, and share quick, engaging videos.
Facebook has aggressively promoted Reels, even tweaking its algorithms to prioritize video content in users’ feeds. This strategy aims to capitalize on the rising trend of short-form video, which has made TikTok so popular. Facebook is also paying content creators to use Reels through its $1 billion Creator Fund, which incentivizes users to make and share content on the platform.
Expanding E-Commerce Features
Facebook has also ventured deeper into e-commerce to diversify its offerings and retain users. In 2020, the platform introduced Facebook Shops, allowing businesses to create online storefronts within the app. By making it easier for businesses to sell products directly to users, Facebook aims to drive both engagement and revenue.
To further integrate e-commerce, Facebook has rolled out features like live shopping, where businesses can showcase products in real-time, and users can purchase directly through the platform. These features aim to attract not only consumers but also small businesses that can use Facebook’s massive user base to expand their reach.
Focus on Communities and Groups
One of Facebook’s remaining strongholds is its Groups feature. With over 1.8 billion users actively participating in Groups each month, Facebook has shifted its focus toward building tighter-knit communities around shared interests. The platform has introduced new tools for Group Admins, such as monetization options and admin assist tools, to help them manage and grow these communities.
Facebook has also added features like live audio rooms and event discovery to keep people connected within these groups. This focus on niche communities helps retain users by providing them with meaningful interactions, even if they’re not engaging with the general newsfeed.
Prioritizing Privacy and User Trust
Rebuilding trust has been a top priority for Facebook, especially after the Cambridge Analytica scandal damaged its reputation. To address growing concerns over data privacy, Facebook has introduced several updates to its privacy settings, giving users more control over what data is shared and how it is used.
Additionally, Facebook has ramped up efforts to fight misinformation by using AI and partnerships with fact-checking organizations.
Betting Big on the Metaverse
Perhaps the most ambitious move Facebook has made is its full pivot to the Metaverse—an immersive, virtual reality (VR) space where users can interact, work, and play. In 2021, Facebook rebranded itself as Meta Platforms, signifying its commitment to leading the charge in building this next iteration of the internet.
While the Metaverse is still in its infancy, Facebook is pouring billions into developing the hardware and software needed to create this virtual world. Meta’s Horizon Worlds and Horizon Workrooms are early examples of what this immersive experience could offer. The idea is that by building the Metaverse, Facebook will create new, innovative ways for users to interact, work, and socialize in the future.
Can Facebook’s Strategies Keep It Relevant?
While Facebook’s focus on the Metaverse, short-form video, and e-commerce are crucial to its evolution, it remains to be seen whether these efforts will be enough to regain the attention of younger users. Real-time data from eMarketer indicates that Facebook’s daily active users (DAUs) in the U.S. have plateaued, and its user base skews older, with the majority of users now over the age of 40.
Despite these challenges, Facebook’s commitment to adapting its platform, focusing on video, communities, and immersive experiences like the Metaverse could still secure its place as a social media heavyweight in the coming years.