Older teenagers have turned their backs on Facebook, an EU-funded study has found. Young people are opting for alternative social networks like Twitter and WhatsApp, while the "worst people of all, their parents, continue to use the service."
Analyzing how 16-18 year-old teenagers from eight EU countries
use Facebook, researchers came to the conclusion that youngsters
are no hooked on Facebook any longer while their parents are.
According to the head anthropologist on the research team, Daniel
Miller, "mostly they feel embarrassed even to be associated
with it."
"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," Miller, who is also professor of Material Culture
at University College London, explained in his article for the
academic news website, The Conversation.
He said year 2013 marked the start of what looks likely to be
"a sustained decline" of what had been "the most
pervasive" of all social networking sites.
The Global Social Media Impact Study has found that former
Facebook fans started using sites and apps like Twitter,
Instagram, Snapchat and WhatsApp, even though they are lacking in
functionality.
"Most of the school children in our survey recognised that in
many ways, Facebook is technically better than Twitter or
Instagram," Miller noted.
Facebook has lost its former appeal to teenagers for a different
reason.
"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. You just can’t be young and free if
you know your parents can access your every indiscretion,"
Miller explained, adding that "Facebook is simply not cool
anymore."
According to researchers, close friends are connected to each
other via Snapchat these days, while WhatsApp is mainly used to
stay in touch with acquaintances, and Twitter to communicate with
a wide range of persons. Facebook has meanwhile "evolved into
a very different animal" - to become the link with older
family members, including those who have left for university.