Remember when flip phones were “the thing”? Then, that shortly turned into the sliding phones, and now smart phones have taken over. Evolution of technology is an inevitability of life and as the younger generation, we are fortunate to witness its progress.
However, one’s progress may be another’s demise. This is the case with two of the most well-known apps in the world: Facebook and Twitter.
Numbers speak volumes and both companies are paying close attention to them, especially Facebook whose popularity among teens dropped in the past year 24 percent.
“People just don’t use Facebook as much as they used too, and I really think it’s because of Twitter, Instagram, and even Vine,” said Hannah Brown, 11.
One main problem people have with Facebook is that there is no character limit. While some may think getting a message across in 140 characters is a challenge, it makes for quicker reading. And in this time and age, scanning has become the “norm” for getting information.
“Everyone in school definitely used Twitter to get the word out to people because everyone is always checking for updates. Facebook is obviously intended to be used for the same purpose, but people are on Twitter more often so it makes more sense,” said Shazia Malik, 11.
Another reason Facebook is losing popularity is because many of its users are flooding to Twitter. Many claim that Facebook is for adults now. Even Mark Zuckerberg admitted, and research shows, that Facebook is no longer “cool” with teens anymore.
The situation can be compared to a pack of wolves. They attack an animal, go into a frenzy over it, and just as soon as it began, they are moving in search of their next kill.
The tides are shifting and only in a couple of years. However this type of rapid change is nothing new to this generation. Apps are replaced all the time. Doodle Jump by Temple Run, Temple Run by Candy Crush, Candy Crush by Flappy Bird.
“We just live in a time where instant gratification and getting information right away is normal, so it’s not a surprise that Facebook isn’t as popular anymore because we’ve moved on to another app, and before long we’ll move on to another one. It’s just how things work now,” said Malik.
