Meta’s Facebook eyes younger users with new features
Facebook, one of the foremost social media networks, has become known as the app of parents and grandparents, while the youth take up picture and video apps like Instagram and TikTok.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is evolving its platform to cater to younger users, shifting from its original focus on maintaining connections with family and friends to helping people expand their networks and form new relationships.
Tom Alison, head of Facebook at Meta, emphasized this change during an interview in Austin, Texas, ahead of a recent event with content creators.
New Focus: Expanding Networks
Alison explained that Facebook is increasingly becoming a tool for young adults during major life transitions, such as moving to a new city or becoming parents. He noted, “We see young adults turn to Facebook when they make a transition in life.
When they move to a new city, they’re using Marketplace to furnish their apartments. When they become parents, they’re joining parenting groups.” This shift aligns with the way younger generations, particularly Gen Z, are using social platforms.
Introducing Local and Explore Tabs
At the Austin event, Facebook unveiled two new tabs, Local and Explore, currently being tested in select cities. The Local tab helps users find nearby events, community groups, and items for sale, while the Explore tab recommends content based on a user’s interests.
These updates are designed to enhance user engagement and help people discover new content, communities, and opportunities on the platform.
Competing with TikTok and Capturing Video Engagement
With fierce competition from platforms like TikTok, which boasts 150 million users in the U.S. alone, Meta is responding by emphasizing video content, particularly short-form videos. Meta introduced Reels in 2021, a direct response to TikTok’s popularity.
According to Facebook, young adults now spend 60% of their time on the platform watching videos, with more than half watching Reels daily. To capitalize on this trend, Facebook is rolling out an updated Video tab that consolidates short-form, live, and long-form videos into one space.
Facebook Dating Gaining Traction
Facebook’s Dating feature, launched in 2019, has also seen increased engagement, with a 24% year-over-year growth in conversations started among young adults in the U.S. and Canada. This highlights Facebook’s growing appeal as a platform for making meaningful personal connections.
Not Just for Parents: Facebook’s New Identity
Meta’s strategy underscores its ambition to remain relevant to younger generations, even as it faces competition from newer platforms.
At the pop-up event in Austin, a booklet capturing Facebook’s repositioning stated, “Not your mom’s (Facebook),” signaling its intent to redefine itself as a hub for young adult engagement.
With these changes, Facebook aims to remain a central player in the ever-evolving social media landscape, attracting new users and meeting the needs of a dynamic, digitally native generation.