Why Facebook could become the next Myspace.

Facebook is learning that the network effect works in reverse, too, as the young desert the site

Facebook is getting a bit desperate for attention – “thirsty”, as the internet informs me the kids say, probably while on Snapchat. Figures from eMarketer predict that the number of people under 24 using the site will slide by 700,000 in the UK alone this year; those numbers will be mostly replaced by the over-45 crowd, like a bar that’s replaced its drum-and-bass club nights with 80s singalongs.

It’s no wonder Facebook is starting to fade. Over the past year, it’s been criticised for helping spread fake news — contributing to the rise of the alt-right, the Brexit referendum result and Trump’s election — while social media has been accused of harming our mental health. Wired magazine ran a cover of Zuckerberg Photoshopped to look beaten up, for a feature detailing the social network’s “hellish two years”.

Zuckerberg himself reacted by revamping the newsfeed algorithm to boost “meaningful social interactions”, ditching brand updates and media headlines in favour of pictures and posts from your friends and family. That’s not all. Reports suggest that Facebook has started showing some users a poll asking if they agree the site is “good for the world”. And users report that Facebook has started spamming them about posts from friends – even sending text messages to the phone number registered for two-factor authentication. Thirsty indeed.