Teenagers are considering spending less time on Facebook than they did before “annoyances” like the news ticker popped up, according to a new report from NYC-based agency Mr Youth. The report surveyed 2,000 teens nationwide ages 14-17.
As budding social creatures, teens value Facebook for the same reasons the original Facebook users did: visiting friends’ profiles, commenting on friends’ walls, and chatting. 47% said they’ll continue using it as they did before, but only 4% said they will increase the time they spend there and 10% said they would leave Facebook all together.
Will Teens Abandon Facebook for Google+?
Teenagers aren’t thrilled about the changes on Facebook and 25% said they would be using Google+ more often. In fact, teens say that Google+ is actually more social than Facebook, which is trying to become more news-oriented.
Teens really disliked the news ticker, calling it a “scrolling stalker” that just felt like a distraction. They tended to worry that the ticker showed them information that they weren’t supposed to be seeing, or that “is not theirs to see.” And that’s one feature that Google+ has no plans to build.
Wait, Teens Love Facebook’s Timeline?
While adults had mixed responses to Facebook’s Timeline, the group of teens surveyed who had obtained early access to it said they loved it. In fact, it’s one of the few new Facebook features that they enjoy – 27% of teens in this study said Timeline was their all-time favorite feature.
Teenagers, Like, Really Take “Likes” Seriously
SRSLY, while the acting of “liking” something may not mean much for a brand on Facebook, it’s really important to teenagers. A total of 57% of teens see “like” as a reflection of their very own personal brand, while 37% describe “like” as an endorsement to their friends (like a high-five approval, say). When it comes to brands, only 39% see this as a way to tell brands they’d like to receive updates from them, which is a trend we’ve reported on before. For teens, it’s clear that “liking” is mostly something they do amongst friends, though 56% of teens say they’ve “liked” a brand after seeing a friend do the same on the news ticker.
Do you think teens will leave Facebook for Google+? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
