disinterest of American teenagers by Facebook has been registered over the past few months. Last week, investment bank Piper Jaffray has published the results of an investigation that Twitter was the preferred social networking in this age group: 26% reported using one particular platform, against 23% who chose Facebook and many others who had the Instagram as a tool preferred home.
In May, a study, which resulted from a partnership between Harvard University and the Pew Research Center, noted a sense of “social burden” on the use of social network. “Although Facebook is still deeply embedded in the daily lives of adolescents is sometimes seen as utility and as a liability instead of an exciting new platform,” the researchers wrote. The study, however, identified Facebook as the most used social network among youth in the United States.
A Google search lets you find many pages with a list of services and applications that teenagers are using as an alternative: Twitter, the Snapchat, which allows you to send pictures with text, that “self-destruct” in a few seconds , Instagram for photo sharing (which was bought by Facebook), and Tumblr, a mix of blogs and social networking, which has been widely used to share images.
On Thursday, Facebook announced changes to captivate this age group: teenagers now able to share content publicly, something that, until now, only an adult (or who is identified as such) could do. “This update now gives them the choice to share more broadly, as in other social media services,” the company wrote.
“Previously, we were going much more teenagers to Facebook,” says Vera Moura, 17 years and six user of Facebook. Then explains that it was time for Twitter, but this is now also the “pass fashion.” Now, like most of Instagram, where contacts are not just people who already know the world offline. “Instagram is more global. We feel much more connected with the rest of the world. “
There is, however, certain that Vera is an example of what is happening in Portugal and there are no statistics to whether the American trends is also check here.
Ricardo Montenegro, 14 and 12 from the user, has a very different experience. Facebook is the only social network that uses and is a major tool for communicating with friends, who also speaks for Skype. Says the site spend about two hours per day. Already Luís Pisco, 15, speaks “in two hours, at most three or four” (both say there are days you do not enter the site). And to Martha Vences, 15 years and about three user, using even increased over time. “In the beginning was not wearing much. I often share pictures and some pictures that I find funny, [but] use more conversations with friends, do not spend much money. “
None of the four did see disadvantages in having older family members as” friends ” in the social network. But some people referring to have friends who are not comfortable with this situation.
Discomfort with visibility
researcher Cristina Bridge, New University of Lisbon and responsible Portugal by the European project EU Kids Online, says he has no information on the matter, but said he would not be surprised if that happens in the U.S. “will happen around here, or is already happening.”
One reason, he explains, “is a mix of people from various circles and ages (parents, relatives, teachers, peers) that are part of the list of ‘friends’, which leads to some discomfort with extended visibility of exchange messages between teens and unwanted comments that encroach. ” But note that “may be a trend still emerging, it takes some time to arrive, as well as Facebook arrived later to Portugal.”
Meanwhile, Tito de Morais, security specialist youth Internet says observe a great increase in the schools where Facebook gives formations. “Most of these studies [on the disinterest of adolescents] refer to the American reality, which can not be transposed to other countries,” he argues, pointing out not statistics. “They continue to use Facebook, but also use other types of applications. Before wearing the Messenger [Microsoft] went to chat Facebook and now I see a tendency to use other mobile applications simultaneously “- a phenomenon driven by the proliferation of smartphones Android low-range and lower prices.
Already psychologist Teresa Paula Marques met, in May 2012, data from 3556 Portuguese users between 14 and 20 years for a doctoral thesis on the impact of social networking in young people. Noted that “use Facebook primarily for social networking activities (be aware of the lives of friends and to make new friends) to stay informed about the country and the world and even to disseminate works (photographs, hobbies ). ” Respondents spent on average 1.5 hours per day on Facebook. The study does not allow conclusions about a possible neglect or disinterest.
In the Annual Report 2012, Facebook itself admitted the problem, albeit vague for a company that analyzes in detail the activities of the users: ” We believe that some of our users have reduced their involvement with Facebook in favor of greater involvement with other products or services like Instagram. “However, in July, the founder of the social network, Mark Zuckerberg, said that the teenagers continued to use platform actively, although he acknowledged that the company has difficulties in this measurement, because many young people lie in order to gain access to the old site. The minimum age is 13 years.
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