Irish 13-35 yr old Facebook users dropping like flies

dublinman1990

It was reported from both the Irish Independent & Irish Examiner yesterday that Facebook Ireland has dropped by 300,000 users within a period of 9 months arising from FB's consistent controversies with their data misuse scandals. The majority of users leaving FB in Ireland are in the 13-35 year old age group category. So from these statistics; it has been noted at this current time that a much more clearer trend of young people are leaving FB in Ireland than ever before.

Still there are more older people aged 50+ who are currently staying on it with 600,000 active users still using the service.

What do people here think of this trend as result of what happened with FB's recent data scandals?

There could be a huge number of factors surrounding these statistics in Ireland. These factors could be mental health issues, young people switching over to other social media platforms or maybe more young people leaving social media altogether in the mix as we go through these figures.

jam_mac_jam

I don't think its because of data use scandals, I think Instagram is more popular with younger people and facebook has your ma putting up selfies of herself before she goes out.

MarkY91

I'm 28 and I stopped using Facebook a year ago. I use Instagram daily.

No status dramas, no talking ****e.

I follow celebrities, travel bloggers, fitness bloggers, sports stars and some friends.

I post my own travel pics and the odd random story update of my life.

No stress, no drama. If anyone wants a conversation with me? What's what WhatsApp is for.

tjhook

All the young people with their Bebo this and Myspace that...

GRACKEA

Mid 20s here and stopped using Facebook and it's sisters due to data concerns. Switched to a button phone too for day to day use to address borderline smartphone addiction.
My peers have done similar/are thinking of doing the same.

Phileas Frog

I permanently deleted my Facebook account 18 months ago, haven't looked back since. I'm not in the 13-35 age group.

GRACKEA

Signal is a good secure alternative to Whatsapp and I'm using email more to communicate with friends and family - though I'm not sure Google's data/privacy policies are much better than Facebook's...

elfy4eva

All of my mates have kicked it too I'd like to say it's because they're becoming more aware of privacy, but in reality they just seem to have moved to Instagram and Snapchat. Have lost interest in that type of social media myself Beyond the like of WhatsApp for instant messaging.

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo

There's something very permanent about it that makes me feel a bit uncomfortable.

Why do I need pictures up there from 5 years ago on constant display to the world?
Snapchat you can post anything and it's gone within 24 hours.

The only good thing Facebook has going for it is that I can contact anyone on my Friends list. So it's nothing more than a modern day address book to me now.

There's also a crazy amount of advertising on it. Scrolling through ad after ad is tiresome. I see no reason to delete it, but it's dull as dishwasher.

*I am in that age category

Rawr

MarkY91 wrote: »

I'm 28 and I stopped using Facebook a year ago. I use Instagram daily.

No status dramas, no talking ****e.

I follow celebrities, travel bloggers, fitness bloggers, sports stars and some friends.

I post my own travel pics and the odd random story update of my life.

No stress, no drama. If anyone wants a conversation with me? What's what WhatsApp is for.

"What's wrong hun? xoxo"

Controversy aside, it has long since now become an algorithm ridden advert cesspool of nonsense and that's just a pain to experience.

Kind of goes to show what happens when one social platform rules the roost for too long. I firmly believe that in the next decade or so, Facebook and social media as we currently know it will be extinct and replaced with something else.

Hopefully that "something" isn't more annoying than what we've got...but I don't have much hope of that.

mr_fegelien

Since Facebook owns Instagram/Snapchat, they aren't really losing out on anything.

I would say its time for the Zuck to cash out and leave the company. I know I would.

I think one of the reasons is also that Facebook is "less instant gratification" than Snapchat/Instagram. Both of these platforms really are immediate. You take a picture/video, upload it in a few seconds and people see it in 30 seconds/minute. That doesn't really happen on Facebook.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

MarkY91 wrote: »

I'm 28 and I stopped using Facebook a year ago. I use Instagram daily.

No status dramas, no talking ****e.

I follow celebrities, travel bloggers, fitness bloggers, sports stars and some friends.

I post my own travel pics and the odd random story update of my life.

No stress, no drama. If anyone wants a conversation with me? What's what WhatsApp is for.

That can also be solved by not having gobshites on your Facebook friend list. Or unfollowing them if you can’t unfriend them (related etc.).

I still use and like Facebook. I use Instagram too. Snapchat is truly awful though. I had it briefly and found it the most demanding platform. Felt I had to respond to friends’ “funny” filter photos before they disappeared. And how are you supposed to react to a filter you’ve seen for the umpteenth time?

The high horse brigade

mr_fegelien wrote: »

Since Facebook owns Instagram/Snapchat, they aren't really losing out on anything.

I would say its time for the Zuck to cash out and leave the company. I know I would.

I think one of the reasons is also that Facebook is "less instant gratification" than Snapchat/Instagram. Both of these platforms really are immediate. You take a picture/video, upload it in a few seconds and people see it in 30 seconds/minute. That doesn't really happen on Facebook.

Facebook don't own Snapchat

freshpopcorn

I don't believe it's anything to do with data privacy. People are just tired and bored of Facebook.
I'm only really on it to keep up to date with local business and news.

Boom_Bap

People stopped sharing on FB when it turned into 1 big advertisement.

Insect Overlord

They kept changing it, piece by piece, until the features that made it so brilliant a decade ago were all gone.

It's all focused on misery now. Constant reminders of horrible news stories around the world, natural disasters, social injustice, charity causes and fundraisers. If it's not that it's advertising, or lists of names so you tag your contacts in some business page's attention seeking ad.

You can't share a funny picture or video now without having to tag people in a list with thousands of others, and then get notifications when strangers around the world respond to it too.

All the fun is gone.

Feisar

I'm in a couple of groups, it's good for that.

Church on Tuesday

Have FB but barely use it now. I'm 32 and I think the novelty factor has worn off for most folk at this stage. Still use Messenger.

Don't bother with any other big social media platforms either.

circadian

I've removed myself from Facebook and WhatsApp. Never used Instagram. Despite Facebook claiming that WhatsApp would remain separate, about 3 weeks after that statement I traced my WhatsApp messages going through their CDN, so they're profiling people across platforms at this point.

completedit

Lmao at the losers who are on here who 'have moved over to instagram' ship sailed about 5 years ago, Instas peak was 2014/15. It's absolutely **** as well and I loved it. It's literally only good for looking back nostalgically on, in the moment, it's a dead platform and the likes being hidden will turn people away in droves if they wheel it out elsewhere.

All the social media platforms are worn out at this stage. I think we're reaching peak internet.

riffmongous

I still use Facebook for a few groups, notably ISF. Would rarely post anything personal anymore though. Recently started using Instagram and found it pretty good for following sports teams

Irish Guitarist

I use Facebook but only in an ironic, post modern way.

CPTM

I think Facebook will die off. Actually so will Instagram. The kids growing up today will be like the kids who grew up yesterday - they'll want their own world which is different and distinct from their parents. As soon as parents are interested in something, you can guarantee the youths following after them will want an alternative.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

completedit wrote: »

Lmao at the losers who are on here who 'have moved over to instagram' ship sailed about 5 years ago, Instas peak was 2014/15. It's absolutely **** as well and I loved it. It's literally only good for looking back nostalgically on, in the moment, it's a dead platform and the likes being hidden will turn people away in droves if they wheel it out elsewhere.

All the social media platforms are worn out at this stage. I think we're reaching peak internet.

I was hearing this about Facebook a decade ago (I distinctly remember those murmuring around the time of my finals), that it had peaked and was on the way down and that social media was passé.

OneEightSeven

I only use it for reading the comment section underneath news articles. The censorship on Facebook has gotten pretty draconian since Trump won the election and I don't receive notifications for people replying to my comments. I'm always on Twitter because it's a better platform for engaging with politicians and celebrities, but the comment section for RTE News and the Journal.ie is dead. Normally, I'll log onto Facebook at bedtime when I've exhausted all of my other bookmarks or if a big news story breaks. Same with this place. Boards used to be one of the first sites I'd visit, now it's one of the last.

Your Face

I don't use it as much as I used to and I have it locked down privacy wise. I did a friend and like cull a few weeks ago. It's mostly just family I'm connected with now.

MissD93

It’s actually quite funny this recently came up in conversation with me and three other girls (three of us are 24 ones 23) my friend had deleted because she became single last year and in the last few months she was getting a lot of unwanted adds and messages from men despite trying her best to change her settings, similar situation I deleted my a year ago because I work in retail and Random people were able to contact me. The four of us all agreed there was a lot of aspects of Facebook that made us feel uneasy and a bit creeped out

lawred2

MarkY91 wrote: »

I'm 28 and I stopped using Facebook a year ago. I use Instagram daily.

No status dramas, no talking ****e.

I follow celebrities, travel bloggers, fitness bloggers, sports stars and some friends.

I post my own travel pics and the odd random story update of my life.

No stress, no drama. If anyone wants a conversation with me? What's what WhatsApp is for.

No dramas just loads and loads and loads of ads..

Everything is pretty much an ad on Instagram

daveorourke77

I hope pornhub never have a data breach.

Grab All Association

I’m 30 and I use Facebook on a daily basis, but, When I joined in 2008

I’m at least two days older according to my date of birth, my name is different on it example if my name was Tom Jones it’d be something like Tøm Jøñéŷś
I never uploaded an actual profile photo of myself nor use voice or video
I follow news on it from the mainstream sources and comment on it.
I use marketplace.

Anything I have posted is just Simpson references and reviews of businesses.
No camera access, microphone access and I always make the assumption that this can be exploited so don’t use the app for this reason.

completedit

MarkY91 wrote: »

I'm 28 and I stopped using Facebook a year ago. I use Instagram daily.

No status dramas, no talking ****e.

I follow celebrities, travel bloggers, fitness bloggers, sports stars and some friends.

I post my own travel pics and the odd random story update of my life.

No stress, no drama. If anyone wants a conversation with me? What's what WhatsApp is for.

You're trying to make Instagram cool but failing. Have fun watching Rob Lipsett go on his 16th holiday in 3 weeks, sounds great :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Least FB has articles and some semblance of non-vapid brainless ****e.

Rothko

completedit wrote: »

You're trying to make Instagram cool but failing. Have fun watching Rob Lipsett go on his 16th holiday in 3 weeks, sounds great :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Least FB has articles and some semblance of non-vapid brainless ****e.

What you get out of Instagram depends on who you follow.

JohnnyFlash

The Facebook group of companies will one day be looked upon for humanity in the same light as asbestos, lead petrol, and fracking. Ghouls. I can’t believe educated people in Ireland work for them.

wakka12

I dont think its to do with data at all. I personally just like the layout of facebook so I still use it, im 23. But my younger brother and sister who are both under 19 only use snapchat and instagram, they are just the more popular platform for younger people

rocksolidfat

I'm 23 and use it the odd time for messaging, but even that is way less than 2-3 years ago and especially less than 6-8 years back. I don't think I have posted anything on my 'wall' (do they even call it that any more?) in a good 5-6 years. Almost none of my friends use it either, outside of keeping contact with some friends and relatives. My wall/feed/whatever looks more like a random scroll of ads than anything because of this.

CosmicFool

I've left Facebook, Instagram and Twitter in the last month. Mostly due to boredom and just fed up with all the Fake ****e on them. People are really stupid and believe everything they read particularly on FB & Twitter.

Cee-Jay-Cee

I still use Facebook but have unfollowed every single person in my 'friends' list. I now only follow about 7 or 8 interest group pages and a few news pages. I have no interest in reading the mundane sh that people think others care about or seeing pictures of you and your fat wife who thinks she's gorgeous because she managed to squeeze into a dress 3 sizes too small for her or what your children are up to today. It really is a breeding ground for the needy and weak who constantly crave the approval of others.

I don't have Instagram, snapchat or twitter accounts or any other social media accounts.

BDI

In all the bragging about how people are so much better because they have given up Facebook has anybody mentioned how Facebook employ a few people in Dublin and them collapsing could be a bit of a problem?

Would it?

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

BDI wrote: »

In all the bragging about how people are so much better because they have given up Facebook has anybody mentioned how Facebook employ a few people in Dublin and them collapsing could be a bit of a problem?

Would it?

Well in fairness, and I say this as somebody who likes and uses Facebook, that’s not the problem of somebody who decides to stop using the site.

BDI

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

Well in fairness, and I say this as somebody who likes and uses Facebook, that’s not the problem of somebody who decides to stop using the site.

It is if they work there, have customers who work there, have family members of people who work there as customers, rent houses to them, collect government aid or tax spending on services from the taxes their staff pay.
But sure I’d say that’s not a lot of people. Probably just one fella goes in and checks the air con is working once a month in the giant building.

Kind of like when all the hairdressers went very quiet once the builders stopped working.

knockers84

Disabled it but still use messenger. It’s actually a crap system where 99% of it is annoying crap.

Why it annoys me below:

* idiots thinking they won a prize or entering a competition by sharing a fake page.
* Mothers posting up cryptic messages looking for attention and all the responses are “U okay hun”
*People checking into the airport with a picture of a pint or vodka in front of them.
* People sharing pictures and tagging friends with the pic stating “ the names below will be pregnant this year”, “the names of people below will win the lotto in a month”, “the names of people below will find love in a month”, “the names of people need to cut back on alcohol”. Etc. Etc.
*People just sharing stupid memes which I don’t find funny as there all over the place on Facebook
*New popping up and advertisements.
* Getting tagged in stuff which is not funny and is as interesting as watching paint dry.


It’s a load of balls, WhatsApp, instagram, messenger , LinkedIn ten times better.

Montage of Feck

I think those aboriginal tribes that believed cameras steal your soul were on to something.

rocksolidfat

knockers84 wrote: »

* Getting tagged in stuff which is not funny and is as interesting as watching paint dry.

I do love reading a 3 paragraph joke/meme/etc and before the end of the first sentence realising you have probably been sent this meme over 100 times since it first went around in 2010... maybe 15-20 times by the exact same person.

fergus1001

facebook owns Instagram so they don't particularly mind anyway

riffmongous

knockers84 wrote: »

Disabled it but still use messenger. It’s actually a crap system where 99% of it is annoying crap.

Why it annoys me below:

* idiots thinking they won a prize or entering a competition by sharing a fake page.
* Mothers posting up cryptic messages looking for attention and all the responses are “U okay hun”
*People checking into the airport with a picture of a pint or vodka in front of them.
* People sharing pictures and tagging friends with the pic stating “ the names below will be pregnant this year”, “the names of people below will win the lotto in a month”, “the names of people below will find love in a month”, “the names of people need to cut back on alcohol”. Etc. Etc.
*People just sharing stupid memes which I don’t find funny as there all over the place on Facebook
*New popping up and advertisements.
* Getting tagged in stuff which is not funny and is as interesting as watching paint dry.


It’s a load of balls, WhatsApp, instagram, messenger , LinkedIn ten times better.

No offence but it sounds like it's your friends who are the problem. Why didn't you just unfollow all the people who post that crap?

knockers84

riffmongous wrote: »

No offence but it sounds like it's your friends who are the problem. Why didn't you just unfollow all the people who post that crap?

Should do but I still find the whole concept of it annoying, even if I did unfollow all those idiots, 99% of FB is still just crap.

NoteAgent

If anything Instagram is worse.

Definitely the reason for alot of anxiety among people. The constant need to impress everyone.

jonnny68

im in my 40's and although i still have a facebook account rarely use it i prefer Insta but i don't use it too much ...full of the same old crap on facebook day in day out, drama queens, people depressed to bits riddled with anxiety spending 24 hours a day almost on facebook almost crying if they don't get enough likes, people who constantly post these ridiculous memes, political experts solving ther worlds problems from behind their keyboard, people who post up photos of their breakfast, dinner and tea, people who post a million and one photos of their kids, people who check in everywhere they do, its a cesspit of garbage.

Gorgeousgeorge

Literally use it for buying car parts and cars in the uk on the marketplace. Would have deleted it long ago other than that

andekwarhola

Great, I might start using it more now

completedit

Used to be so good. Remember the glory days back about 2014. Quality. Now people don't interact in real life or social media. It's mad how social group just dwindles as you get older, suddenly and out of nowhere. For a long time I would have considered my social group to be at least 50 people, now it's about 15