My how things have changed in just a few short years.
It’s no secret that Facebook has been losing its appeal for some time, but according to a new study things have gone from bad to worse. Not only is Facebook becoming more of an “uncool” choice by the day, but research suggests that youngsters are actually becoming embarrassed to say they use the service at all.
Leading the study, Professor Daniel Miller of University College London warned that the world’s once-favorite social network is “not just on the slide, it is basically dead and buried.”
“Mostly they feel embarrassed even to be associated with it.”
His research suggest that youngsters are now far more likely to use Facebook to keep in touch with older friends and relatives, increasingly favoring other social networks like Twitter.
“Where once parents worried about their children joining Facebook, the children now say it is their family that insists they stay there to post about their lives. Parents have worked out how to use the site and see it as a way for the family to remain connected. In response, the young are moving on to cooler things,”
“What appears to be the most seminal moment in a young person’s decision to leave Facebook was surely that dreaded day your mum sends you a friend request.”
Interestingly, he also pointed out that kids in general fully accept that Facebook is the superior social network in a technical sense, suggesting that the reason for its downfall comes 100% down to cultural concerns as opposed to the platform itself.
“Most of the school children in our survey recognized that in many ways, Facebook is technically better than Twitter or Instagram. It is more integrated, better for photo albums, organizing parties and more effective for observing people’s relationships.”
