At the onset of the new millennium, very few people outside of Silicon Valley could have anticipated the rise of social media that would dominate online communication for the next decade and a half. MySpace laid groundwork for a personalized social media experience but it wasn’t until Facebook showed up on the scene that the the medium’s full potential was realized. Now, after its tenth year in existence and more than a year and a half after a botched IPO, Facebook’s viability is being questioned by leaders in the tech and communications industries. What does the future hold for Facebook and what will Facebook’s success or collapse mean to the social media industry at large?
Facebook like an infectious disease, will lose 80 percent of users, says Princeton study
NBC News
This un-peer-reviewed Princeton study likens Facebook’s ascendency among social media platforms to a plague or epidemic, and although the epidemic has only resulted in time being killed, the analogy can’t be a welcome one to the likes of Zuckerberg and his minions. While comparing the social media proclivities among hyper-social pubescent populations to epidemiology models is thus far highly conjectural, it makes for interesting discussion regarding the future of digital interaction and what the quality of these online social experiences can be likened to.
Instagram Is Growing Faster Than Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest Combined
Digital Trends
2013 was a year of conflicted success for Facebook. Recent acquisition, Instagram saw an active user increase of 23% while Facebook itself saw a decline of 3%. To add to Facebook’s disappointment, the platform’s attractiveness to teenage users seems to be dwindling as well. Can Facebook continue to dominate the social media landscape by buying competitors and without truly innovating? Only the future will tell.
Even President Obama Thinks That Facebook Isn’t Cool Anymore
Tech Crunch
The exodus of teens from the ranks of active Facebook users has been well documented, but another bellwether of social change who usually weighs in on more important issues seems to be aware of Facebook’s dwindling appeal. President Obama, while pitching public healthcare exchanges to the all-important 18-34 year-old demographic commented, “It seems like they don’t use Facebook anymore”. Mark Zuckerberg later responded to this comment by shedding a single tear made entirely of 24-carat gold.
As it stands, Facebook’s fortunes are up in the air. They still have the largest user base engaged in deep interaction, but if the network continues to hemorrhage teenage users, the future might be bleak. Tell us about your Facebook experience. Has your use declined? What changes has Facebook made that impacted your experience? What do you think Facebook needs to do to remain competitive? As always, thanks for reading and please share your thoughts below.
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Joe Ducar is a public relations intern for WordWrite Communications.
