Do you remember when Facebook admitted that it has seen a drop in usage amongst teens? As it turns out, they were wrong. Teenagers just can’t seem to keep away from the social networking site, even though they hate using it.
And I think it has a lot to do with Zuckerberg’s genius plan to take over the digital world. Because like a watch or a telephone; Facebook has become more of a convenience than anything else. And quitting it is just as annoying as staying on it.
The Research That Changed It All
If you were thinking that Facebook isn’t all that hip for teenagers to be on anymore, well… you were right. Teens think it’s a boring platform that older people use. They don’t think Facebook is cool. But Forrester Research found, after conducting a survey among the 13-18 year old demographic , that they still remain the site’s top user. Check this out:
Teen Facebook use, Adult Facebook use
This, however, does not mean that they use it with as much enthusiasm as they used to. So Facebook’s earlier findings regarding teen engagement with the site remain true.
Why Are They Still Using It?
Like I said before, Facebook has become more of a convenience than anything else. For the average user, it acts as an active phonebook, an event planner, an inbox, and even as a means of self-promotion. It is just too practical, and serves too many purposes to quit. It’s more than just a social media site. The survey also found that it remains the most used platform, too:
And apart from this, the recent surge of smartphone use has also seen to an increase in Facebook activity. But just because they’re using it, doesn’t mean they necessarily like it.
The Future of Facebook are Teen’s Parents
There’s another thing that the study has unveiled. While teenagers remain the benchmark through which Facebook predicts its future prospects, it might be a better idea to look at how the teen’s parents use the site. Because: although teens are greater in number, the parents are the faster growing demographic.
And you know what? I think we have some credit to take in that account. Because with this blog, my main goal has always been to encourage parents to be more aware of their kid’s digital habits. And it seems like finally, all the advice is paying off.
I love it when you guys tell me how you’ve become better at digital parenting by keeping a check on your kid’s Facebook messages or their other online activity. So, you see? Being more informed on the growing online world makes all the difference. And for that, all StealthGenie parents deserve a pat on the back!
Got any more questions about Facebook? As always, I’ll be glad to help 🙂
Article by Vishal
Vishal Gaikar is a professional blogger from Pune, India. If you like this post, you can follow him on Twitter.
