 "Photo sharing: Netizens click a 'Like' for apps, Facebook loses dominance")
Netizens seem to be changing their internet habits. In the past one and half years, photo sharing and messaging has fallen 20 per cent on Facebook, the largest social networking platform worldwide, according to a recent report by GlobalWebIndex.
The reason, according to experts, is that users, especially teens, are finding it more comfortable to exchange messages and share photos on the instant messaging apps. “Instant messaging is one-to-one, while social networking sites such as Facebook is to do with more, even if it allows you to share one-to-one,” says a Delhi-based social media analyst.
Users might not be always active on social networking sites, though they could be checking Facebook many times a day. On the other hand, they stay online on instant messaging apps almost through the day, says the analyst cited above.
According to the GlobalWebIndex study, the number of people who have messaged a friend on Facebook within the past month has come down globally — from 512 million in the January-March 2013 quarter to 313 million in July-September 2014. In India, 28 per cent of Facebook users said they had logged in only to see “what’s happening without posting anything or commenting anything”. However, Facebook's total user base has been increasing.
Mobile messaging services increased their user base to 616 million in July-September 2014 from 454 million in January-March 2013. Globally, users have cited different reasons for not using Facebook, such as losing interest, getting bored, not private enough and friends not using as much as they used to, among others.
When it comes to sharing pictures, a majority, essentially the teens, prefer photo-sharing app Instagram, followed by other instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp, WeChat, Snapchat, etc, the study noted. The advantage of messaging apps is that it’s quicker than using social networks or text messages to speak to people, according to 41 per cent of the 170,000 internet users across 32 markets who participated in the study.
Between January 2013 and September 2014, as many as 68 per cent of Indian netizens shared pictures via WeChat, compared to 63 per cent on Facebook Messenger and 62 per cent on WhatsApp, the study noted. The trend shows these apps are eating into Facebook’s business. Otherwise, people might simply be getting bored with sharing their entire life in videos, pictures and 20-word blurbs.
The reason, according to experts, is that users, especially teens, are finding it more comfortable to exchange messages and share photos on the instant messaging apps. “Instant messaging is one-to-one, while social networking sites such as Facebook is to do with more, even if it allows you to share one-to-one,” says a Delhi-based social media analyst.
Users might not be always active on social networking sites, though they could be checking Facebook many times a day. On the other hand, they stay online on instant messaging apps almost through the day, says the analyst cited above.
Also Read
Also, these apps consume relatively less data than social media networks apps, opening up one specific chat window, not the entire app with all updates. However, the analyst adds convenience is the first priority for users and data consumption is secondary.
According to the GlobalWebIndex study, the number of people who have messaged a friend on Facebook within the past month has come down globally — from 512 million in the January-March 2013 quarter to 313 million in July-September 2014. In India, 28 per cent of Facebook users said they had logged in only to see “what’s happening without posting anything or commenting anything”. However, Facebook's total user base has been increasing.
Mobile messaging services increased their user base to 616 million in July-September 2014 from 454 million in January-March 2013. Globally, users have cited different reasons for not using Facebook, such as losing interest, getting bored, not private enough and friends not using as much as they used to, among others.
When it comes to sharing pictures, a majority, essentially the teens, prefer photo-sharing app Instagram, followed by other instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp, WeChat, Snapchat, etc, the study noted. The advantage of messaging apps is that it’s quicker than using social networks or text messages to speak to people, according to 41 per cent of the 170,000 internet users across 32 markets who participated in the study.
Between January 2013 and September 2014, as many as 68 per cent of Indian netizens shared pictures via WeChat, compared to 63 per cent on Facebook Messenger and 62 per cent on WhatsApp, the study noted. The trend shows these apps are eating into Facebook’s business. Otherwise, people might simply be getting bored with sharing their entire life in videos, pictures and 20-word blurbs.
| LOSING THE GRIP |
|