Drawing on more data from our new GWI Social report (download a free summary here), the chart below looks at attitudes towards Facebook among nearly 12,500 members in the US and UK.
Overall, some 50% said that they were using the site less than they used to. Men (55%) were slightly ahead of women (46%), while the younger groups posted higher figures than the older ones.
In terms of specific audiences, the biggest problem for Facebook emerges if we look at response rates among teens (defined here as 16-19s). At a headline level, it’s nearly two thirds of this group who say they are using Facebook less than they used to.
Of course, some caveats are needed here. Teens haven’t left Facebook, they’re just interacting with it less frequently and more passively than in the past. And Facebook’s ad-based profits are dependent on it being able to target its users accurately – something which is not jeopardized by these findings, especially with the arrival of Atlas. Even so, it’s clear that Facebook is struggling to maintain enthusiasm among the most coveted but fickle demographic, giving some context as to why Snapchat has been able to make such serious inroads into this audience.
To download the full version of the new GWI Social Q3 report, please visit our Insight Store.
