While remaining optimistic about something, you have to be a realist first. So, here’s the statement – There has been a mass exodus from the social networking giant – Facebook to messaging apps like WhatsApp and WeChat which host free instant messages through a phone’s data connection.
Facebook, of late, has been witnessing a sharp fall in number of the daily users, especially teens, who have developed liking towards popular mobile messaging apps like WhatsApp and WeChat. The company admitted that there has been a marginal decrease in daily teen users who are still on the site but not using it as much.
According to the Guardian: Part of the reason is that gradual encroachment of the grey-haired ones on Facebook. Another is what messaging apps have to offer: private chatting with people you are friends with in real life. Instead of passively stalking people you barely know on Facebook, messaging apps promote dynamic real-time chatting with different groups of real-life friends, real life because to connect with them on these apps you will typically already have their mobile number.
Unlike Facebook, these apps promote dynamic real-time chatting as one gets to connect with people who already exist in their phone book. Moreover, apps like these do not promote advertising, providing private sharing space.
WhatsApp was established in 2009. The 4 year old service has more than 350 million monthly active users globally, putting Twitter’s 218 million users behind.
That said, the Asian apps are yet to gain a foothold on the foreign soil like the U.S. Facebook is one of the social networks not built for a special niche or a special user base. Other popular and growing social networks and apps are built with a specialization in mind: For instance, LinkedIn is where people go for industry news, to look for a job and to network.
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