The 2030 Generation Leaving Facebook, Turning to 'Short-Form Content'

The number of monthly Facebook users in South Korea has decreased by nearly 25% over the past two years. Photo by Song Hyundo, Asia Economy intern reporter

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung, Intern Reporter Song Hyundo] The exodus of young people in their 20s and 30s from 'Facebook' is accelerating. The beneficiaries are so-called 'short-form content' SNS platforms, which offer simpler and more spontaneous ways of communication than Facebook.

The number of Facebook users in South Korea is also on the decline. According to market research firm 'Mobile Index' on the 27th, the monthly active users (MAU) of Facebook in Korea last month was 11,096,919, down 17% from the same period last year (13,447,761), and down 25% compared to two years ago (14,870,910).

According to the 'SNS Usage Status by Generation' report released by the Korea Information Society Development Institute in June this year, the Facebook usage rate among people in their 20s was 48.6% in 2017, but dropped sharply to 27.0% in last year's survey conducted four years later.

Trends in the Number of Facebook Users and Age Groups / Photo by Song Hyundo, Asia Economy Intern Reporter

Facebook becoming a playground for older generations is not a phenomenon unique to Korea. According to a survey conducted this year by the U.S. polling organization 'Pew Research Center' targeting American teenagers aged 13 to 17, only 32% of respondents said they had ever used Facebook. This is a 39 percentage point drop from 71% in 2015.

◆2030 Generation Flocks to 'Short-form Content'

One SNS platform that has gained from Facebook's decline is 'Twitter.' As of February, Twitter's MAU was 4.32 million, a 24.6% increase compared to the same period last year. 63.6% of Twitter users are aged 30 or younger. Twitter launched its service in 2006. Along with Facebook, which was founded two years earlier, it is classified as a 'first-generation SNS,' but it never achieved the overwhelming market share that Facebook did. However, Twitter's strengths have increasingly attracted attention over time. Its 'simple' usage style, where users can quickly share their status or chat with others in short messages, appeals to the 2030 generation.

As the number of Facebook users declines, social media platforms focusing on short-form contents are gaining prominence. / Photo by Asia Economy DB

Emerging SNS platforms that have recently risen are actively reflecting this 'simplicity.' They focus on short-form content (digital content consisting of short videos, messages, etc.) as their main service.

A representative example is 'BeReal,' launched in France in 2019. It is an SNS where users can upload photos only once a day. Users must take and upload a photo within 2 minutes, after which they gain the right to view photos uploaded by friends and acquaintances. All uploaded photos are reset after one day. This unique usage rule, which maximizes simplicity and spontaneity, has captured the hearts of the 2030 generation.

The SNS 'BeReal,' developed in France in 2019, operates by allowing users to upload photos within a 2-minute time limit to communicate. / Photo by BeReal homepage capture

Within three years of its launch, BeReal has become one of the most used SNS platforms among teenagers and college students in the U.S., U.K., and France. According to mobile analytics firm 'Data AI,' it ranked fourth among the most downloaded apps in English-speaking countries this year, following Instagram, Snapchat, and Pinterest.

Other SNS platforms focusing on short-form content include 'Snapchat,' where photo messages disappear automatically after 24 hours; 'TikTok,' known for its 15-second short videos; and 'YouTube Shorts,' a service similar to TikTok.

◆"TikTok's Growth is Rapid" Facebook Feels Threatened

Facebook, experiencing negative growth for the first time since its founding, appears to be feeling a strong sense of crisis. Meta, Facebook's parent company, reported revenue of $28.82 billion (approximately 38.466 trillion KRW) in the second quarter of this year, a 1% decrease compared to the same period last year.

Mark Zuckerberg, Meta CEO, also acknowledged that young users are leaving Facebook. In a letter to investors last February, he mentioned short-form content SNS like 'TikTok,' saying, "People have many choices about how they want to spend their time, and apps like TikTok are growing very quickly."

Currently, Meta is attempting changes such as updating the 'Reels' feature, a short-form content function within its SNS. Structural changes are also underway, including relocating executives from Meta's other SNS, Instagram, to its London branch to pursue overseas expansion. Regarding this, Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, emphasized, "We will continue to introduce various features and tools for creators to monetize. The world is changing rapidly, and we must keep pace."