Snapchat Lures Teens Away From Facebook

Facebook is losing its swagger with young users, who are increasingly migrating to rival platforms including Snapchat, according to eMarketer.

Facebook will lose 2 million users under 25 in the U.S. this year while Snapchat will add 1.9 million, eMarketer said in a report. Facebook usage among kids younger than 12 will drop more than 9 percent, with declines of about 6 percent each among 12- to 17-year-olds and 18- to 24-year-olds.

In the U.K., 71 percent of social network users between 12 years and 17 years old will be using Facebook regularly this year, a downgrade of 8 points from last year’s forecast. Snapchat will get log-ins from 43 percent of U.K. social networkers in 2018, more than double the number three years ago.

Facebook has tried to stem an exodus to Snapchat with measures such as a new version of its Messenger app for children. While the overall number of Facebook users will reach 169.5 million in the U.S. and 32.6 million in the U.K. this year, far more than Snapchat, Instagram or Twitter can claim, the drop among younger users means Facebook’s "teen issue" is more than just a theory, said Bill Fisher, an analyst at eMarketer. “There are now some early signs that younger social networkers are being swayed by Snapchat,“ Fisher said. “The challenge and opportunity for Snap is how to appeal beyond that core youth demographic.“