I knew that Facebook users are getting older, but I didn’t realize the extent of the aging process until I saw that over the past year, the median age of Facebook users had increased from 26 to 33.
That’s absolutely absurd, and truly a shame.
Facebook was once a safe haven for Gen Y, a place that we had to ourselves. Facebook gave young adults a place to interact without having to worry about being watched by our elders.
Today however, I am now Facebook friends with my mom, dad, aunt, uncle, and even my grandparents. While I am happy to have an on-line network that allows me to communicate with my family and elders, I will never forget the day when I could post things on my profile without worrying about older people seeing it.
Apparently, much of Generation Y agrees with me, as Facebook usage among young adults is slowly declining. I feel that right now Facebook is in a very dangerous situation.
Historically, Gen Y has had complete control over social networking trends, and therefore when we decide that a site is irrelevant, it is only a matter of time before it loses its power. Simply put, just as MySpace was overthrown by Facebook, it is simply a matter of time before a new social networking site comes along and captures the hearts of the Millennial.
The next year will be an incredibly interesting time for social networking, as I strongly believe that the steady flow of Gen Y users away from Facebook will cause a strong social networking competitor to emerge. 2010 should provide us the next great Social Media battle, as Facebook will have to work hard to not suffer the same fate as MySpace.
