Facebook wants to win back Generation Z users, becoming another tool for young people to better navigate adults.
The social media platform last week announced a redesign that employees believe younger people want to see more of. The new design integrates local content and recommendations, uses artificial intelligence to answer frequently asked questions in specific Facebook groups, and allows non-Facebook users to RSVP to Facebook events.
Facebook, now 20 years old, has declined in popularity among teens in recent years. But Facebook's parent company Meta has noticed that young adults active on the platform use community-focused features like Facebook Marketplace and Groups.
Facebook chief Tom Allison, who oversees its product development, said the company's product strategy in recent years has been driven by two main factors.
“One of them is: what do young people want from a social app today – especially young adults, Gen Z, ages 18 to 29 – today? And how can Facebook really be part of this?” Allison said. “And the second is, obviously, all the advances in technology that AI has to offer.”
Leaning on the habits of its active Gen Z users, Facebook leaned into the community elements of its platform. Younger users tend to use the app as a tool to find roommates, negotiate deals, and join virtual groups that align with their hobbies and interests.
The Facebook redesign includes a new “Locals” tab, currently being tested in several major American cities, that aims to consolidate recommendations for local activities, groups and hotspots across the platform. It's launching a “Weekly” and “Weekend Digest” feature to feed users a compilation of recommended events in their area.
The company is adding a full-screen “video” tab for Facebook Reels, an “explore” tab for content tailored to user interests, and a “matchmaker” feature that lets users swipe to see their friends on Facebook dating. .
The addition of a dedicated tab for algorithm-based short videos is a move that will bring Facebook in line with TikTok, Instagram and other platforms that have adopted similar tactics.
But people typically use different social media platforms for different purposes, said Colin McClain, a senior researcher focused on internet and technology research at the Pew Research Center. While they use apps for entertainment, he said, it's these community-focused features that people tend to associate with Facebook.
“Young people know that what really stands out on Facebook is the relationship driver,” McClain said. “Almost all Facebook users tell us they are there to stay in touch with friends and family. The vast majority also say the reason they are there is to connect with people who share their interests.”
Some Gen Zers who use the platform most frequently describe it as a place to find an online community outside of their usual social circle as they navigate their teenage years.
“I use TikTok and Instagram to reach all my friends who are all over the world and all over the country,” said Cammy Thorstenson, 24.
Although she still prefers other social media apps, Thorstenson said she is constantly scanning Facebook Marketplace and her local Buy Something group — which allows members to gift or request free items and services — to help decorate her Minneapolis apartment throughout the day. . She used several groups to connect with other nannies and get jobs.
Erin Carter, 23, said Facebook was the only thing she used to keep in touch with her grandmother — until she decided to leave North Carolina and start a new life in New York. That's when he joined a Facebook group in New York City and posted a post looking for a roommate. This led him to look for an apartment online with two strangers he met on a video call.
“The funny thing is I don’t go on Facebook anymore, it’s not my thing,” she said. “But I definitely used it to buy things and found my group in New York.”
Gabriel McKay, 28, describes Facebook as a “neighborhood” compared to other social media apps he spends time on.
“It feels smaller, a little more intimate,” he says of the platform, which he primarily uses to browse his neighborhood’s Buy Nothing group. “And I think it's a place that people my age go to, oddly enough, to get some relief from that 'everyone is watching you' feeling.”
Meta recognizes that keeping young users engaged is critical to the future of the platform.
In May, the company announced an “increased focus on young adults as part of its “The Future of Facebook.” And last month, the company published a blog post for Gen Xers on how to navigate young adulthood with Facebook.
“Being able to expand our products around local offerings won't be the only thing Facebook becomes,” Allison said. “But we’re seeing that it really resonates a lot with young adults.”
