Facebook groups have been around since the early days of Facebook, providing a way for people to connect around shared interests and causes. At their peak, Facebook groups were immensely popular, with over 1 billion users belonging to at least one group. However, with recent controversies around Facebook’s handling of data and spread of misinformation, some have wondered if usage of Facebook groups has declined. Here we’ll examine the current state of Facebook groups and whether they are still being actively used in 2023.
The popularity of Facebook groups
Facebook groups experienced tremendous growth in the 2010s. As Facebook’s membership grew to over 2 billion monthly active users, groups provided a way for people to find communities within the vast Facebook network. Key events and trends that fueled the growth of groups:
- The launch of closed and secret groups in 2010, which provided more privacy controls for group admins.
- Facebook’s 2012 acquisition of Instagram, exposing groups to new audiences.
- The migration of niche interest groups from sites like Yahoo Groups to Facebook groups.
- Facebook actively promoting groups through recommendations and prominently featuring them in the interface.
By 2017, over 1 billion monthly active Facebook users belonged to at least one group. Facebook reported that there were over 100 million group admins and moderators overseeing active groups at that point. The number and variety of public groups seemed endless, covering hobbies, professions, health conditions, parenting, spirituality, and more. Private and secret groups also flourished, enabling more intimate sharing and discussion.
Are people still actively using Facebook groups today?
Despite Facebook’s scandals and dropping youth engagement over the past 5 years, Facebook groups remain quite active in 2023. Here are some key statistics on current Facebook group usage:
- Over 1.8 billion monthly active Facebook users as of Q3 2022.
- There are over 100 million group admins and moderators as of 2022.
- Over 70 million Facebook groups as of 2022, with over 10 million considered “highly active.”
- Approximately 50% of weekly active Facebook users belong to at least one group.
While overall Facebook usage has declined, especially among teens and young adults, the platform still has a very large active user base. And a significant percentage of those monthly active users participate in groups.
Why are Facebook groups still popular?
There are several key reasons why active usage of Facebook groups has endured despite Facebook’s public image problems:
- Hard to replace network effects – Once a group attracts a large number of engaged members who regularly interact, it becomes difficult for members to migrate elsewhere.
- Important for niche interests – Facebook groups enable people with specific interests and needs to find each other easily.
- Closed nature helps with privacy – Closed and secret groups don’t have discoverability issues that public posts and pages do.
- Events and chat features – Groups integrate event management and chat features that members rely on.
- Already used by communities – Communities like churches, parent groups, sports clubs rely heavily on established groups.
While there are certainly valid criticisms of Facebook, groups succeed by fulfilling core human needs – a sense of belonging, shared interests and values, organizing events and activities. For many groups, the network effects are simply too strong to migrate somewhere new.
What do Facebook group users value?
Understanding what Facebook group members value can provide insight into why groups have endured.
Sense of community
The ability to connect with like-minded people who share an interest or concern is a top draw for many group participants. Groups foster a sense of community, where meaningful relationships can form.
Niche focus
Groups allow specialized communities to form around topics that might be too niche for other social networks. The breadth of groups on Facebook enables users with specific interests or needs to find each other.
Privacy
Closed and secret groups provide privacy not available with public pages and posts. This allows more vulnerable conversations and intimacy.
Events
Groups provide built-in event management features. This is invaluable for local community groups, clubs, youth sports leagues, churches, and more.
Chat
Real-time chat features allow group members to interact and bond. This fosters stronger relationships and satisfying exchanges.
How are Facebook groups used today?
People participate in Facebook groups for diverse reasons. Some of the most popular uses of groups today include:
Parenting and family
Parent groups allow people to exchange advice on parenting challenges, find recommendations, organize play dates and family activities.
Health conditions
Groups for medical conditions like diabetes or mental health disorders provide emotional support and practical advice.
Professional networking
Industry-specific groups enable professionals to discuss trends, share job openings, and make connections.
Spirituality
Religious and spiritual groups provide a space for members to discuss faith, pray, and exchange resources.
Local community building
City, neighborhood, sports league, and alumni groups plan events and share local news relevant to members.
Niche hobbies
Enthusiasts of activities like birdwatching, quilting, or homebrewing have specialized groups to share their passion.
While a subset of groups spreads misinformation or exists for dubious reasons, most are used for benign community building around shared interests and concerns.
How engaged are Facebook group users?
Facebook group members tend to demonstrate relatively high engagement compared to passive Facebook consumption. Some metrics reflect the active participation of many group users:
- Over 100 million members are in groups that host “Community Chats” each week.
- 1 billion comments are made in groups per day.
- Group members generate over 1 billion posts per day.
- There are over 300 million link shares in groups daily.
These metrics indicate that a significant segment of Facebook users turn to groups for two-way exchanges. Groups are not just a one-way stream like the news feed. The back and forth dialogue keeps members invested.
What are the most popular types of Facebook groups today?
While Facebook doesn’t provide detailed statistics on group types, third-party research and anecdotal evidence suggest the most common groups focus on:
- Parenting – Mom groups, dad groups, specific ages (toddlers, teens).
- Health and wellness – Conditions, healthy living, fitness.
- Professional networking – Industries, specializations, entrepreneurs.
- Local community – Neighborhood, city, alumni, sports fans.
- Faith-based – Churches, religious affiliations, spiritual practices.
- Niche hobbies – Cooking, gaming, gardening, arts & crafts.
These categories point to the most compelling use cases that keep users engaged with groups. They center around life experiences that foster intimate sharing and support.
Are Facebook groups growing or declining?
Despite some predicting their demise, Facebook group usage remains quite stable and active. However, growth has leveled off somewhat in the past few years:
- Number of groups is steadily increasing, but at a slower pace than a few years ago.
- As Facebook’s membership flattens in North America, fewer new people join groups.
- Group user engagement remains high, but the growth in posts and comments has flattened.
This reflects the fact that Facebook membership is no longer growing rapidly like it once was. But active group members continue participating steadily.
Challenges facing Facebook groups
While Facebook groups remain popular, they face some challenges that may impact growth and engagement going forward:
- Misinformation and extremism – Groups spreading conspiracy theories, hate, and misinformation have caused PR issues.
- Competitors emerging – Apps like Slack, Discord, Reddit offer group chat and forums.
- Young adult disengagement – Younger generations less active on Facebook in general.
- Declining organic reach – Facebook limits unpaid visibility of group content.
- Admin fatigue – Managing large groups with minimal tools can be tiring.
Despite these headwinds, the underlying needs groups fulfill mean they will likely remain a valued part of Facebook. However, growth may depend on improving group tools and safety.
Are Facebook alternatives impacting group usage?
Some speculate that alternatives to Facebook groups may be driving people away and causing a decline. Here’s a look at how major alternatives like Reddit, Slack, Discord, and more stack up versus Facebook groups currently:
Reddit offers topic-specific forums, but anonymity and less personal connections differentiate it from Facebook groups. There is likely some overlap in users, but more Reddit usage among young adults.
Slack
Slack provides robust group messaging for teams and organizations. But it lacks public groups, events, photo sharing, and other key Facebook group features.
Discord
Popular with gamers, Discord offers voice chat and ephemeral messaging. But it skews younger and focuses on real-time conversation over community archives.
Nextdoor
Nextdoor has strong usage for hyperlocal groups aimed at neighborhoods. Its limited scope hasn’t replaced broad utility of Facebook groups.
Mighty Networks
This paid platform helps people build membership communities. But less flexibility and high cost limits it vs. freeform Facebook groups.
While each platform meets some needs groups serve, none provide the complete package. This helps explain why Facebook group engagement remains relatively stable.
Is group usage declining among young adults?
With under-25s leaving Facebook in droves, could declining youth engagement spell trouble for Facebook groups? Some data points:
- People 18-29 are significantly less likely to use Facebook groups compared to older age brackets.
- Majorities of teens claiming to use Facebook say they do not participate in any groups.
- Anecdotal evidence suggests younger Facebook users are more passive, less engaged in groups.
However, young adults comprise a relatively small fraction of overall Facebook membership. Their lack of enthusiasm for groups likely has minimal impact on current group participation and growth. But if the youth exodus accelerates, it could pose a longer-term challenge.
Do Facebook groups still have a future?
Facebook groups have defied the odds by remaining fairly robust even as Facebook itself has been battered by scandals and youth disengagement. Groups seems poised to remain a vibrant community space thanks to:
- Strong network effects keeping communities rooted.
- Groups serving core needs online groups are optimized for.
- Lack of direct replacement that can replicate Facebook’s scale and features.
However, for continued relevance Facebook may need to:
- Innovate with new group features and experiences.
- Improve group safety and quality to address criticisms.
- Find ways to attract younger users to participate in groups.
If Facebook groups continue fulfilling their members’ needs and evolving with user expectations, the future looks bright. But Facebook will need to keep investing in product development and safety for groups to maintain their vital role in online community building.
Conclusion
Facebook groups have defied skeptics by remaining a vibrant platform for online communities in 2023. Key strengths like network effects, niche focus, events and chat keep members engaged. Popular group categories like parenting, health, professional networking, local communities, and hobbies show Facebook groups are fulfilling core needs. While growth has slowed and youth engagement lags, groups serve a valuable role for hundreds of millions of users. By innovating features and addressing criticisms, Facebook groups seem poised to still thrive in the years ahead.