Report: 15 Million Americans Have Abandoned Facebook Since 2017

There are 15 million less U.S. Facebook users today than in 2017, with those between the ages of 12 to 34 constituting the biggest drop in users, according to a new study.

According to a recent Edison Research study of Americans’ social media usage, “the number of current users of Facebook continues to drop,” with “an estimated 15 million fewer users of Facebook than in the 2017 report.”

Edison Research further reported that the “declines are heavily concentrated among younger people,” between the ages of 12 and 34.

82 million users between 12 and 34 reportedly used Facebook in 2017, while just 65 million use Facebook in 2019.

Facebook-owned platform Instagram, however, is reportedly the most popular platform for young people in 2019.

In an interview with Marketplace, Edison Research President Larry Rosin declared, “I don’t see how you couldn’t say it’s a meaningful drop. Fifteen million is a lot of people, no matter which way you cut it. It represents about 6 percent of the total U.S. population ages 12 and older. What makes it particularly important is if it is part of a trend.”

“This is the second straight year we’ve seen this number go down. Obviously, the U.S. is the biggest market, in terms of dollars, and it’s going to be a super important market for Facebook or anybody who’s playing in this game,” Rosin continued. “We only show trace numbers of people leaving social media altogether. They’re obviously just transferring their usage. The big gainer, interestingly, is under the same roof as Facebook. It’s their co-owned Instagram.”

“There’s conjecture about as Facebook has become more popular among older people, whether that’s affected younger people. Then we have to consider whether some of these other social media platforms, in particular Instagram and Snapchat, are just more appealing to younger people,” Rosin continued. “I should also mention that while we’ve seen dramatic reductions in usage among younger people, we’re still seeing some gains among people, for instance, 55 and older. That is maybe not the advertising target Facebook is necessarily looking to work on, but it’s not as if all is lost there.”