Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. It was launched in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and outshined the most social media network, Myspace, four years later. Nonetheless, its popularity has declined mainly due to the introduction of other major social media platforms. TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter. The diffusion of innovation, a theory popularized by Everett Rogers in his 1962 book, Diffusion of innovation, can explain Facebook's growth and decline over the Years.
Ideas and innovations spread over time. The diffusion of innovation is a theory that explains the dissemination of ideas and innovations. Rogers refers to the communication of ideas and innovation within social systems as diffusion. Also, their dissemination to adopters requires social capital, time, and proper communication channels. The first adopters are those that devise the ideas or innovations, followed by those who accept the ideas or innovations early on, which Rogers calls the early adopters. Subsequently, more people adopt the ideas or innovations; such individuals are known as the early majority. Those who take their time to embrace the ideas or innovations are referred to as the late majority, while the last to accept them are the laggards. The cycle of adopters or innovations proposed by Rogers' diffusion theory demonstrates the spread of Facebook globally.
Facebook boasts of many early adopters. It attracted 1 million users within its first year of existence (Sedghi). The number increased steadily over the years to make the most used social media platform by 2013. The monthly users grew to 6 million, 12 million, 58 million, 145 million, 360 million, 608 million, 845 million, 1.056 million, and 1.230 million from 2005 to 2013 (Sedghi). The figure stands at 2.93 billion as of the end of 2021. Facebook surpassed other popular social media platforms, like LiveJournal, Friendster, and MySpace, to become the most preferred platform for several reasons. Facebook capitalized on the wave of social networking already created by its predecessors through broadband availability and internet penetration. It also learned from its mistakes like rapid expansion and underlying technological issues. Moreover, the platform was clean and non-customizable. Lastly, it was marketed to specific market segments; hence the early adopters comprised high school and college students and later corporate employees. Regular innovation to the platform like the addition of tools and technologies, increased early majority users (Press). Thus, Facebook owes the rapid growth after its inception to its effectiveness and innovations.
The late adoption of Facebook was caused by age restrictions and the presence of other similarly popular social networks. Like other social media platforms, Facebook restricts users based on age. Before it was reduced to 13 years, one could only join once they reached 18. This limitation and the availability of many other social media platforms saw many people delay using Facebook. However, they were not significant issues as the social network's usage spread worldwide. Still, some people joined Facebook too late, while others are yet to embrace it. Aloudat et. al attribute their reluctance to perceived security issues, inappropriate content, lack of interest, uselessness, lack of control, peer influence, privacy concerns, and absence of trust, culture, and religious beliefs. Although the platform could help me stay in touch with my family and friends, keep them up to date about my life through sharing my pictures and videos, and access helpful information. I think that Facebook is overall not as popular with this generation of young adults and they enjoy Instagram and Snapchat more.
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