It seems to be the question that everyone is asking these days. Is Facebook dying out? What do users think about that statement? Well, most likely if you asked ten different people that question you would get ten different answers for ten different reasons.

Many current Facebook users are beginning to think the favorite website is dying out. Losing a lot of the active everyday traffic, many still have active accounts, but most remain stagnant for a longer period than it had in the past. It leaves people wondering what has changed so drastically in its current history that has caused such mixed emotions.

is facebook dying

Invalid status updates

A common complaint from Facebook users is that specific advertising ads are being sent out from their personal account, which in no way reflect their interests. It would seem that either someone or something breaks into a private account or uses it to send out advertisements to try to sell something through a person’s friend list.

The fact that it is happening is making users feel like it is a gross violation of their privacy. There is a universal feeling that Facebook takes no responsibility for things of that nature occurring, under their watch, and furthers the distrust among its users.

Negative nelly syndrome

Another common complaint used by anyone that has ever had a Facebook account is relating to the sentiment behind what people are posting. There are two ends of the spectrum on this point, and that is that some users choose to paint an unnaturally perfect life, and their real friends and followers know it isn’t true.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, there are the other people who want to detail out every gory piece of their lives in their Facebook posts. It can often come across as being negative and drawing attention to real life issues that most people are looking to escape from in their down time. That can serve as a great annoyance and can tend to leave a bitter taste in the mouth, making users seek out alternate virtual places to hang out.

Advertising overload

There is an apparent overload of advertisement on people’s dashboards. Because companies are now capitalizing on mass advertising efforts, targeting their audience, a person will most likely see much more of a conjured list of things that they think you might like based on previous search engine searches.

Facebook is being used as a tool to sell things, meaning the users sees far less of what their friends are posting and more of ad type campaigns. Things like, friends checking in at a hot spot, family photos, or tagging someone so that they see your post, have all but come to an end. And with those aspects of Facebook being what users previously enjoyed, the sheer frustration seems to be causing users to seek out other avenues of communication. Losing this paramount aspect of the website is a potential answer to why Facebook is dying.

is facebook dying

Partiality for natural discovery versus force feeding content

With so many companies using all of the social media applications for advertising purposes, it has created a new dilemma in that users of those apps are getting tired of feeling like they are force fed content.

It is a common complaint from users, and they are taking note that they would prefer more of a natural discovery experience. They are actively seeking out places where some variety is offered in an organized fashion, yet still leaving some room for the excitement of discovering things in a natural way.

Reddit, Diggs or Stumbleupon

Three other apps gaining increasing profit share as of late are Reddit, Diggs, and Stumbleupon. These sites are homes to communities of people getting their information in a more enjoyable virtual environment. They are vastly different from their competitor Facebook, and may very well be the reason why it scores below par on user happiness.

With a fresher approach to how people want to digest their content, each site has taken the initiative to present the news in a new and creative way. Polls seem to indicate that Diggs has the most growth, with Reddit coming in a close second place.

Other related topics

One idea that the big three; Reddit, Diggs, and Stumbleupon are expanding on is the Other Related Topics portion of the web page.

Posters of the websites are citing the useful addition of more focus being placed on cross traffic commotion helping their blogs stay relevant longer which in turn keeps people coming back to their posts.

A satiated market

The virtual market has become satiated with numerous amounts of individual applications. Many years ago, it would be typical to see somewhere in the ballpark of three mainstream competitors going head to head for increased market share. However, in a virtual marketplace, there is no longer a ceiling for entrepreneurial efforts. There are limitless boundaries for new applications to be envisioned and to come to fruition, making it much more difficult for Facebook to stay relevant.

Bombarded by facebook game invites

We’ve all been asked to play Farmville, but now there are even more games that require an active Facebook account. Users complain about the wide variety of spammy Facebook game invites, and unwelcome requests that occur more often than wanted. Endless invites are annoying and overtake what was initially enjoyed at the beginning, which was enriching the virtual human contact experience.

Most of the time the invite is followed by a present Facebook friend posting a comment on their timeline stating to send lives to help them get off that pesky Candy Crush level. Sometimes users automatically get notifications from games which cause issues of distrust regarding the policies and procedures that Facebook follows.

Tumblr and LinkedIn

While people are migrating away from Facebook, they realize that other applications might better suit their needs. For example, Tumblr and LinkedIn are two that are topping the list. They both allow a person to create a unique blog and to connect with people of similar interests. Current users of the two applications are finding value in that.

It doesn’t matter whether you are a teen posting about gaming or a professional business person looking to up their game by connecting with other company greats. Both applications are proving the point that Facebook could very well be dying out due to newer fresher apps.

The downside of facebook losing Its popularity

For a core group of people, there is an apparent uneasiness about the loss of popularity of Facebook. For some users, there is a consistent comfort level that is appreciated by having an established core group of friends that they can interact with as they choose.

It is an opportunity to stay connected with others when the mere thought of tackling yet another new trendy application causes discomfort. It is for that reason that Facebook will likely continue to have a following for some time.

So, Is facebook dying?

All pointers seem to indicate that Facebook may not be dying just yet, with millions of followers and its continued growth. However, they are facing significant issues that undermine the very premise under which it was created. Without being proactive and starting to acknowledge, identify, and address some the issues publicly, it will likely continue to decrease in value by way of its users.

Younger users are opting out and seeking new apps like Tumblr and LinkedIn both for personal as well as professional applications. With a new application coming out every other day, the trend will continue to change. Any software has to continuously strive to stay current by listening to user’s feedback, or they will surely suffer the fate of disinterest. Even then, the question, of Facebook’s looming death, may still be an elusive one depending on where you sit as far as social media goes.

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