Facebook fading

© iStock.

Are you spending less time on Facebook? You’re not alone; in fact, you’re part of a trend. According to a study by eMarketer, daily time spent on Facebook declined by 3 minutes among U.S. users in 2018, from 41 minutes in 2017; and usage is expected to further decline in 2019. Debra Aho Williamson, principal analyst at eMarketer, attributes the slide to Facebook’s News Feed changes, which reduced clickbait and other publisher content, as well as an overall lack of popularity with teens – a worrying trend for the future of the platform. Snapchat usage has been stable year over year, at 26 minutes per day, while Instagram is experiencing growth, rising from 22 minutes in 2016 to 26 minutes in 2018, with a projected 29 minutes in 2021. Adding up Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram usage, you’d be led to believe that American adults (age 18+) are spending 1.5 hours per day on social networks, which is huge. But the figures are misleading, since eMarketer tracks multitasking between platforms as if it were dedicated time with each. For example: 1 hour spent going back and forth between Snapshat and Facebook is counted as one hour for each.

⇨ Mashable, “Facebook’s engagement is sinking with no end in sight.”