Facebook Rolls Out a Youth-Focused Refresh

Facebook’s looking to reinvent itself as a cool place for young people once again, after seeing a resurgence in young user activity in recent months.

Indeed, Facebook says that there are now 40 million young adults using Facebook across the US and Canada every day, the highest level in more than three years.

Why?

Well, overall, Facebook has seen a rise in usage on the back of its broader implementation of AI recommended content, which is seeing all users spend more time in the app. Indeed, Reels consumption alone is up 20%, and has become a key element in the app’s resurgence.  

So how can Facebook capitalize on this, and get youngsters spending more time in its foundation app?

It’s rolling out a couple of new updates to help.

First off, Facebook’s adding new “Local” and “Explore” tabs, which will incorporate content from Reels, Marketplace, Groups and Events.

So, the idea here is that Meta can act as a connection hub to help young people, in particular, find places to go, groups to join, and importantly, cheap stuff on Marketplace.

The focus here is college students, who may be switching to new campuses and new regions, with Facebook becoming a valuable connector for this audience.

As explained by Meta:

“We know people use Facebook to connect with their local communities, so we’re investing in ways to make that even easier. We’re testing an experience that pulls together the best local content from across Facebook into a single tab called “Local”. Whether it’s nearby activities, local groups offering free stuff or recommendations about neighborhood hot spots, you’ll find it all in the new Local tab.”

The separate tab will facilitate new means of connection, which could make it easier for young users to find more relevant content.

Though it’s not widely available as yet.

Meta says that the Local tab is currently being tested in Austin, New York City, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Chicago, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco and Phoenix.

So only a few major U.S. cities at present.

Meta’s also testing a new “Explore” tab, which will highlight content from Pages that you don’t follow, tailored to your interests.

Which, given that your main Facebook feed is now littered with AI recommended content anyway, doesn’t seem a heap different from the top level experience, but Meta says that this is more specifically designed to highlight how good its systems know you.  

“Explore is designed to show you content that doesn’t just entertain, but helps you dive deeper into your interests, get inspired by real people and expert communities and take the next step. It’s unique to each person’s interests, and we use a wide variety of signals to power our algorithm so that your content will reflect the things you’re into. Whether you’re seeking time management hacks, tips for traveling abroad for the first time, DIY tricks for repurposing furniture or running groups for marathon training, the Explore tab will have even more of what you’re looking for.”

So if you want to get a gauge on just how good Meta’s AI recommendations are getting, this, theoretically at least, should be the spot, though again, it doesn’t seem like a big leap from the current main feed.

Worth noting, however, just how TikTok-like it looks.

That’s no doubt deliberate, because Meta’s also rolling out an updated, full-screen “Video” tab, which is essentially TikTok within Facebook.

Yes, Meta’s copying TikTok again, and unashamedly so, but again, with Reels drawing in more interest, that makes logical sense.

“Young adults on Facebook spend almost 60% of their time on the app watching videos, and more than half of young adults watch Reels daily.”

Facebook’s also giving Facebook Dating a renewed push, via a new element called “Matchmaker”, which enables you invite up to five friends to swipe for potential matches on your behalf.

Which, frankly, sounds horrible, but then again, I’m old and well beyond the target demographic for this.

Meta says that Facebook Dating conversations have increased 24% year-over-year among young adults in the US and Canada, so it’s now looking to add another element to the process, in order to expand on its communal elements.

Which leads into the next update: Meta’s also looking to build in new community elements on Messenger, with “Memories”, which will resurface past photos from your chats that you can re-share with your community.

Meta’s also adding “Messenger Communities”, which are essentially topic-based group chats, as well as an expansion of Notes in Messenger.

It’s also rolling out event invites via SMS and email (so you can invite non-Facebook users) as well as AI summaries within groups.

So, essentially, Facebook’s looking to beat TikTok by showcasing more connective opportunities within the app. Which TikTok lacks, given that its focus is on showing you content, not connecting you with other users, and Facebook’s looking to juice this element to make it a more valuable tool for those looking to build IRL connections.

Will that work? Well, more young people are using Facebook, which is probably a surprise in itself for most, and definitely, Facebook’s key value proposition is its social graph, which connects you to other actual humans.

Meta, overall, had seemed to have moved away from this element, by pumping in more recommended content, and adding in more generative AI chatbots and tools. But now, it’s looking to poke a deeper hole in TikTok’s veneer, by showcasing how valuable it can be for facilitating human connection.

And based on the numbers, maybe that’ll prove to be a valuable push.