Facebook Aims to Engage Young Adults with New Community and Video Features
By Pavethran Batmanathen
Facebook, once a pioneer in social media, has earned a reputation as a platform favored by older generations, particularly parents and grandparents, while younger adults have gravitated towards visually-driven apps like Instagram and TikTok.
However, Meta, Facebook’s parent company, is now taking steps to shift this perception and recapture the interest of younger users.Originally designed as a way for people to stay connected with friends and family, Facebook’s future now focuses on fostering new connections and expanding networks.
This approach aligns with how younger generations prefer to engage with social media, according to Tom Alison, Facebook’s head at Meta.“We notice that young adults turn to Facebook during key life transitions. When they relocate to a new city, for example, they use Marketplace to find furniture for their new homes.
When they become parents, they join parenting groups for support,” Alison explained in an interview conducted in Austin, Texas, ahead of a scheduled event with content creators.At the event, Facebook revealed two new features, Local and Explore tabs, currently in the testing phase in selected markets.
The Local tab provides users with access to nearby events, community groups, and items for sale in their area, while the Explore tab curates content based on individual user interests.This strategic shift towards young adults is crucial as Facebook faces increasing competition for their attention, particularly from TikTok, the short-form video platform that boasts 150 million users in the U.S. alone and holds immense popularity with Generation Z.
In response to TikTok’s rise, Meta introduced its own version, Reels, in 2021.Currently, young adults on Facebook spend 60% of their time watching videos, with over half watching Reels every day. To further cater to this trend, the platform will soon introduce a revamped video tab that organizes short-form, live, and long-form videos all in one convenient location.
In addition, Facebook’s dating feature, which launched in 2019, has seen notable success with younger users. The company reported a 24% year-over-year increase in conversations initiated by young adults in the U.S. and Canada.At the Austin pop-up event, a booklet neatly encapsulated Facebook’s forward-thinking direction with a catchy slogan: “Not your mom’s (Facebook).”
This statement underscores Meta’s intention to position the platform as more relevant and engaging for younger audiences moving forward.
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