30 Oct Millennials are Deleting Facebook. Where are They Going?
Facebook continues to fail to capture the attention of younger users. Behavior trends over time have shown that those in the Millennial and Gen Z category are logging on less and less. However, new research shows that it doesn’t appear that these younger generations will be back, as they are now deleting Facebook from their phone altogether. As these generations are now representing more of the buying power, many marketers are curious where they are spending their time.
Why Are They Deleting Facebook?
Research has shown that over the past year, a significant number of younger users have left Facebook, with no plans to return. According to findings by Pew Research, 44% of younger users, those aged 18 to 29, have deleted the Facebook app from their phone. Besides the fact that they may not want to be under close watch by their parents, I have a few reasons why I believe younger users are leaving Facebook:
- How people use social media has changed. People prefer sharing on a smaller scale or even one-to-one as opposed to blasting an update to people they haven’t talked to in years.
- The younger audiences are much more comfortable storytelling and sharing updates by creating image and video content.
- Facebook has become saturated with ads and this generation doesn’t like to be marketed to in the more traditional sense.
- Finally, other platforms are innovating quicker. Instagram and Snapchat are rolling out features that are capturing this audience’s attention. Some of these features include: Stories, Gifs/Stickers, Lenses and Augmented Reality
Where are They Spending time on Social Media?
So where are Millennials and Gen Zers spending their hours social networking? They can be found on YouTube, Instagram and messaging apps. It may come as a surprise to you that one app in particular is still holding their attention…Snapchat.
According to eMarketer data, Snapchat usage continues to increase, especially among Gen Z. Gen Z, the generation that consists of those aged 16 to 24, don’t mind that the older audiences have left. They are still very engaged and use Snapchat as a messaging platform.
Check out more research in our post about What’s Trending with Millennials on Social Media.
If you need help reaching this younger audience, shoot us a note and we would be happy to help!
