Facebook is no longer “cool” and it has your parents to blame. A study conducted by the EU shows that older teens are fleeing the social network at a record pace, mostly owed to the increased presence of their parents and other family members.
The study authors looked at 16-18 year olds and their social media habits. Even though Facebook has more functionality and does well to stay abreast of social media trends, there seems to be little the company can do against teens’ parents and families. The study showed older teens are increasingly turning to newer social media such as Twitter and Snapchat. Though lacking the functionality of Facebook, these newer sites are yet to be “figured out” by older generations.
The teens admitted to using, newer, less functional social media platforms simply to avoid interaction with their “uncool” parents. Daniel Miller, lead anthropologist for the study says, “Mostly, [the teens] feel embarrassed even to be associated with [Facebook]… 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.”
Facebook’s young user base has been steadily eroding in past years. Miller posits this increasing avoidance of parents and the older generation can only lead to a “sustained decline” in Facebook users. The study does show, however, that Facebook has evolved into a key tool in maintaining relationships to older family members or those who have moved away or gone to college.
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