Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META)
Facebook argues cogently that it should not be considered extinct in a lengthy blog post that was published on Tuesday. But, the corporation also verifies something that you have probably already found out on your own: The social network has shifted away from its initial emphasis, which was on keeping in touch with the people you already know.
Tom Allison, who holds the title of “head of Facebook,” writes in the post that the Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) unit is “off to a great start this year.” He supports this claim by referring to the previous disclosure made by the company that it reached 2 billion daily active users for the first time in December. According to what he writes, “Facebook is neither dead nor fading away; rather, it is very much alive and growing.”
Nevertheless, as he points out, people’s usage of the site is shifting considerably, and this is mostly due to changes the firm has made to what is included in the site’s news feed and in Reels, which is a short video feature that competes directly with TikTok.
“People are using Facebook for more than just interacting with friends and family,” writes Allison. “They’re also using it to learn about and join in conversations about the things that are most important to them.” Although the wording gives the impression that users are making this decision, Facebook is actually becoming more and more like TikTok, which is a platform that allows users to view content that was created by third parties, and less and less like a traditional social network that allows you to keep up with your connections.
“Over the past nearly 20 years, people have come to Facebook for a variety of reasons, including to see what’s going on with their friends, family, and groups where meaningful connection happens,” writes Allison. “Among these reasons is the desire to keep up with what’s happening with meaningful connections in their own lives.” People use Facebook more often now to be entertained, learn something new, or check up on what’s going on around the globe, which is a change that has taken place over the course of the past couple of years. These are the new motivations that motivate us to invest in a discovery that is powered by AI.
In the blog, Allison takes the stance that “there are billions of individuals on Earth doing interesting things at any one time, and we’re working on opening up that world for more people by presenting you with information that you’re likely interested in.” This is the posture that is presented in the blog. The idea is that you visit Facebook not to find out which of your high school pals are now parents or to look at images of your neighbors’ adorable new puppy, but rather to learn about the outside world.
The post also highlights the company’s intention to provide tools that make it easy for anyone to become a content generator, whether it be in the form of text, photos, or videos; and then for that content to be spread around the Facebook network thanks to artificial intelligence algorithms to people who are not part of your social network.
Allison mentions in the post that the firm is planning to add more messaging capabilities to Facebook in order to make it simpler for individuals to exchange material with one another. These features will be accessible through the Messenger app as well as directly on the website.
According to what he has written, “Our investments in AI are unlocking new ways for people to find fantastic new content on Facebook and share it with the people who are important to them.” In theory, this should lead to better levels of engagement on the platform, which in turn should lead to an increase in advertising revenue.
Featured Image: Unsplash @ Dima Solomin
