Facebook Aims to Attract Young Adults

By Sheila Dang

AUSTIN (Reuters) – Facebook (NASDAQ:META), once the go-to platform for connecting with family, is increasingly viewed as a network for parents and grandparents. In contrast, young adults are gravitating towards photo and video-centric platforms like Instagram and TikTok.

To reverse this trend, Meta, Facebook’s parent company, aims to reshape the platform to better serve younger users. Tom Alison, head of Facebook at Meta, stated that the platform needs to help users expand their networks and forge new connections, a strategy that aligns with how younger people are utilizing the service.

Alison mentioned, “We see young adults turning to Facebook during life transitions. They use Marketplace when moving to a new city or join parenting groups when they become parents.”

In a recent Austin event, Facebook unveiled two new tabs—Local and Explore—that are currently being tested in various cities. The Local tab focuses on nearby events, community groups, and local sales, while the Explore tab curates content based on user interests.

To attract new young users amidst fierce competition from TikTok, which boasts 150 million U.S. users and is especially popular with Gen Z, Facebook has introduced features like Reels, a direct competitor to TikTok.

The company noted that young adults on Facebook spend 60% of their time watching videos, with over half watching Reels daily. An updated video tab will soon simplify access to short-form, live, and longer videos.

Facebook’s dating feature, launched in 2019, has also gained traction, showing a 24% increase in conversations among young adults in the U.S. and Canada.

At the Austin event, a booklet encapsulated Facebook’s forward-looking vision with the tagline: “Not your mom’s (Facebook).”