Facebook has become one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 2.9 billion monthly active users as of the fourth quarter of 2021. However, in recent years, many have criticized Facebook for declining quality and user experience. There are several reasons why Facebook may be considered low quality by some users:
Too Much Advertising and Sponsored Content
One of the biggest complaints about Facebook is the high volume of advertising and sponsored content. Up to 20% or more of the posts users see in their News Feeds are sponsored content or ads. This clutter can make it harder to connect with friends and family. The excessive advertising also raises questions about Facebook’s motives – are they more focused on profits than user experience?
| Year | Facebook Advertising Revenue |
|---|---|
| 2017 | $39.9 billion |
| 2018 | $55.0 billion |
| 2019 | $69.7 billion |
| 2020 | $84.2 billion |
As the table shows, Facebook’s advertising revenue has skyrocketed in recent years, more than doubling from 2017 to 2020. This suggests they are focused heavily on monetization.
Algorithmic News Feed
Facebook’s News Feed is controlled by an algorithm that attempts to show each user the posts it thinks they will most want to see. This algorithm has been tweaked over the years in an attempt to maximize “engagement.” However, critics argue the algorithmic News Feed creates a filter bubble, hides posts from friends, and promotes controversial clickbait content.
The goal of maximizing “time spent” on the platform may not align with showing users the best content for them. The algorithmic feed has been optimized to promote content that gets strong reactions – often outrage, shock, or surprise. This focuses on “clickbait” rather than thoughtful discussion.
Spread of Misinformation
Facebook has also come under fire for its role in spreading misinformation and fake news. The social network’s emphasis on engagement and lack of fact checking has enabled false or misleading stories to quickly go viral.
Types of misinformation running rampant on Facebook include:
- Fake news stories – Completely false news stories created to misinform.
- Misleading health claims – Posts promoting unproven or incorrect health advice.
- Conspiracy theories – Posts promoting conspiracy theories with no basis in fact.
- Propaganda – Posts sharing political propaganda or bias.
This spread of misinformation erodes trust in institutions and media, harms democracy, and poses risks to public health and safety.
Toxic Culture and Cyberbullying
Facebook has been criticized for fostering a toxic culture of cyberbullying, harassment, hate speech, and divisiveness. Because it connects billions of people, it has enabled large-scale harassment and bullying campaigns.
And despite claims of cracking down on hate speech, Facebook continues to provide a platform for extremist views. Critics argue Facebook prioritizes growth and engagement over the well-being of its users.
Privacy Issues and Data Scandals
There have been numerous privacy issues and data scandals involving Facebook over the years, causing public trust in the company to plummet. Some examples include:
- Cambridge Analytica – In 2018 it was revealed that data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica improperly accessed data of up to 87 million Facebook users for political ad targeting.
- Third party app data sharing – Facebook allowed hundreds of third party apps to access user data without consent for years.
- Facial recognition – Facebook gathered facial data for years from users without consent to improve facial recognition technology.
Facebook has paid billions in fines related to privacy violations and still faces ongoing investigations and lawsuits. These constant privacy violations demonstrate Facebook prioritizes growth over protecting user data.
Declining Original Sharing
Another sign of Facebook’s declining quality is less original sharing and personal updates from friends and family. A 2021 study found that from 2012 to 2021, the percentage of personal updates from friends fell substantially from 9% to 5% of News Feed content.
Instead, News Feeds are dominated by shares of third party content – news articles, videos, and public posts from brands or celebrities users do not know personally. So users are seeing less personal content actually created by their own connections.
Younger Users Leaving the Platform
Younger internet users are leaving Facebook in large numbers, suggesting they are unsatisfied with the experience Facebook offers. For example, a 2021 Pew Research survey found:
- 55% of U.S. adults under 30 say they never use Facebook
- 71% of those 18-29 say they use Instagram or Snapchat, compared to 49% who say they use Facebook
This exodus of younger users represents a threat to Facebook’s continued growth and relevance. Younger people are flocking to more visual, video-centric platforms like TikTok and YouTube. Facebook’s dominance is no longer assured as new generations reject it for other social apps.
Conclusion
In summary, there are many signals indicating declining quality and user experience on Facebook, including excessive ads, algorithmic feeds, misinformation, privacy violations, and loss of younger users. While Facebook boasts enormous reach, many feel it prioritizes profits and engagement over the well-being of its users. With new scandals emerging regularly, it’s fair for users to question whether Facebook still offers a high quality experience worthy of their time and trust.