Facebook usage among youngsters continues to see drop since 2017: Study

Facebook usage among youngsters continues to fall, suggests a new study published by Edison Research. In their recent report The Infinite Dial 2019, researchers share numbers indicating a massive drop in terms of the number of users on Facebook over the last two years.

Edison Research estimated social media usage among the U.S. population ages 12-year and older. It estimates a severe decline in the number of Facebook and Twitter users since 2017. But at the same time, it also estimates an increase in the number of Snapchat and Instagram users.

“Regarding social media, the latest study finds the number of current users of Facebook continues to drop. The study shows an estimated 15 million fewer users of Facebook than in the 2017 report,” said Edison Research.

In 2017, Facebook’s usage was estimated at 67 per cent. In 2019, it has come down to 61 per cent, resulting in a 6 per cent drop in two years. Meanwhile, Instagram’s usage has gone up from 34 per cent to 39 per cent since 2019. Likewise, Snapchat’s usage has grown to 31 per cent from 29 per cent since 2017.

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This study, similar to many other studies in the past, points out the increase in the number of youngsters flocking to Instagram and Snapchat. However, Facebook is not alone. Twitter’s usage also dwindled from 23 per cent to 19 per cent in the last two years. It further reveals Facebook’s population across different age groups.

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In 2017, Facebook’s population among users between the age of 12 and 34 was estimated at 79 per cent. The number has come down to 62 per cent in 2019. Similarly, Facebook’s population ages 55 and above stood at 49 per cent in 2017 that has now increased to 51 per cent.