by Facebook usage decline continues as the social company suffers from poorer metrics due to the ongoing problem internally called “context collapse”…
Things appear to only worsen for Facebook. A recent report from Edison Research revealed the social network’s usage was decidedly down for the first time among American users in November. That report showed a decline from 67 percent to 62 percent in American users 12 years of age and older. What’s more, the social site is either down or flat in every single demographic. (Whether it’s age groups, gender, or ethnicity.)
Facebook Usage Decline Continues Amidst Context Collapse
Now, the latest tracking numbers show the situation continues to deteriorate. In December, time-on-site dropped 18 percent, a large change from the previous month. This represents a 24 percent decrease in time spent per user.
That’s not all. Instagram, a Facebook subsidiary, also lost in the same category, with time per user down 9 percent. However, it’s not all bad news. Aggregate consumption did increase, with an expanded user base.
But, this does mean there’s a mounting problem at Facebook. People just aren’t engaging with it as much. CEO Mark Zuckerberg did warn shareholders this was likely to unfold, due to changes in the News Feed algorithm.
It’s part of an ongoing problem called “context collapse.” That is, users are sharing less organic content. Now, with time-on-site also dropping, this spells a lot more trouble for the social network. If the two trends continue, it’s very possible the Facebook-Google duopoly might crumble.
