The Facebook Era is Ending

Some people can say that they think that Facebook is alive and well in 2015, but I see it as the end. Social media applications have evolved way past Facebook. Even though Facebook will take on VR, SMS and Instagram, I believe that by in the next year or two, there will be a large shift away from Facebook. Why? Because it is already happening.

Let’s look over our shoulder at how Facebook has invaded our lives. Facebook exploded onto the scene and brought social media interaction and the art of snooping on others into the limelight. Facebook is the popular kid – they are the monopoly, the Google of social media. I don’t think that this is a good thing either. Facebook habitually buys up companies that are innovative and creative and makes them less so.

What is really going on? Young people aren’t on Facebook anymore – they want to be on social media that is made for mobile, meaning Instagram. Especially as millienials own parents and baby boomers get onto Facebook, they are opting for platforms that they aren’t on yet like Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr and spending more time texting each other. I belie that in the next five years, these are the social media platforms that will continue to grow and emerge, eventually displacing Facebook.

However, Facebook is doing great things like trying to bring broadband to countries without Internet access – but their 1.5 billion users don’t mean that they can keep their position. After all, Facebook is almost 11 years old, which is prehistoric in our day and age of technology.

A Google Trends report shows that the amount of searches of “Facebook” peaked in December of 2012 and has only been decreasing since then – people are losing interest. Not to mention that Facebook has become the platform for bullies, body shaming and more harmful acts. Even though Facebook has positives like finding and keeping in touch with old friends. There have certainly been a growing number of dramatic stories that stem from a simple Facebook post and we can’t just ignore that.

Like everything, even the universe itself, things bloom and blossom and then burst. Facebook had its time in the spotlight – spread like a disease, becoming immune to its attractions and now it is all over. We are ready for new channels that are more authentic, less invasive and more psychologically healthy. Who will be next?

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