AUSTIN, Oct 4 (Reuters) – Once a pioneer in the social media landscape, Facebook has now garnered a reputation as the go-to platform for parents and grandparents, while younger users flock to visually-driven apps like Instagram and TikTok.
Meta (META.O), the parent company of Facebook, is aiming to shift that narrative.
According to Tom Alison, head of Facebook at Meta, while the platform initially focused on keeping users connected with family and friends, its future will emphasize expanding users’ networks and fostering new connections — an approach that aligns with the ways younger generations currently engage with social media.
“Young adults often turn to Facebook during significant life transitions,” Alison remarked in an interview in Austin, Texas, ahead of a Friday event featuring content creators. “When they move to a new city, they’re using Marketplace to furnish their apartments. When they become parents, they’re joining parenting groups.”
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During the event, Facebook introduced two new tabs, Local and Explore, which are currently being tested in select cities and markets. The Local tab curates nearby events, community groups, and local items for sale, while the Explore tab suggests content tailored to users’ interests.
Focusing on young adults will be vital for attracting new users as Facebook faces intense competition for their attention. TikTok, a short-form video app with 150 million U.S. users, has gained massive popularity among Gen Z, pushing Meta to launch its competing feature, Reels, in 2021. Currently, young adults on Facebook spend 60% of their time watching videos, with more than half engaging with Reels daily. To enhance the experience, Meta plans to introduce a revamped video tab in the coming weeks, consolidating short-form, live, and long-form videos into a single hub.
Facebook’s dating feature, introduced in 2019 and allowing users to browse through suggested profiles, has experienced a 24% year-over-year growth in conversations initiated among young adults in the U.S. and Canada, according to the company. At a pop-up event in Austin, a small booklet encapsulated the platform’s future direction with the headline: “Not your mom’s (Facebook).”
