Facebook has 3 billion monthly users and nobody admits to using it

As a Gen-Xer, I totally understand the appeal of Facebook. It was the first major social site to break onto the scene in a big way (unless you count MySpace!), and everyone was using it. But as more social sites came to be, like Instagram (owned by Meta, which owns Facebook), Snapchat, Twitter (now X), TikTok, Discord, and others, Facebook became passé. It was considered the site for “older people,” where grandma and grandpa go to look at photos of the grandkids, and 40-somethings post food photos, vacation pics, and daily musings. It still carries that reputation to this day.

Yet puzzlingly, Facebook still reportedly has three billion monthly users, according to Statista. That begs the question: if no one is on Facebook, who are these billions of people? Yes, we live with an aging population in many countries. Many people have Facebook accounts they claim not to use, some of which may have been deactivated but not deleted. But I’m not convinced that Facebook is totally out of favor. And even if Facebook isn’t being used the same way it once was, it’s clearly still relied upon for some things.

Let’s see whose on Facebook

The data might surprise you

Yes, Facebook’s active demographic skews older since it’s more familiar and palatable to a mature generation. According to Hootsuite, the strongest daily usage is from those aged 50–64, who visit at least once a day. By comparison, only 31% of teens claim to use the site. Interestingly, however, Statista claims that the age group that uses Facebook the most is 25–34 years at 24.2% followed by 35-44 (19%), 18-24 (18.6%), 45-54 (14.4%), 65+ (12.3%), and 55-64 (11.7%).

Perhaps, then, while older folks use Facebook more consistently, younger people are still signed up and using it for specific reasons. Claiming not to use Facebook but still being on it are two very different things. Only 3% of teens, for example, claim to use Facebook all the time. That means that some are still signed up, even if they only log in occasionally.

Facebook Marketplace is still hot

Buy, sell, trade

Back when my son was a baby and then a toddler, I quickly realized that Marketplace was a Facebook feature I wasn’t using but should be. Once I started using it with local buy/sell groups, it was great. I bought his stroller there, a high-end model that would have cost twice as much (or more) had I bought it new. As he grew older, I sold baby items he no longer needed, like bed rails, clothing, a diaper bag, and more. I was able to get a decent amount of money while also paying it forward to parents who were looking to cut costs. Plus, I was contributing to the circular economy.

Facebook Marketplace has continued to explode, with Capital One Shopping Research claiming that one billion customers shop there, representing 40% of all Facebook users. According to the research firm, 16% of Facebook users log in solely to use Marketplace. You can buy and sell everything from furniture and appliances to kids’ and adults’ clothing, electronics, Pokémon cards, Funko Pops, and even cars. If you’re looking to buy, sell, or trade, Facebook Marketplace and its local buy/sell groups are a useful alternative to eBay and other private online marketplaces.

Share more with many

Photos, albums, chats, and more

Facebook remains the place to keep in touch with friends and family members of all ages. It’s not too much of a chore for the younger generation to do, since you can set a connected Instagram account to automatically post everything to Facebook as well. With Facebook, you can post large albums of photos, too. That makes sharing pictures with a large group of people simpler than trying to explain to Grandma how to access a cloud album.

When it comes to chatting, Facebook Messenger is an underrated service. In fact, the largest demographic for Facebook Messenger in the U.S., according to Hootsuite, is those aged 25–34, followed by 35-44-year-olds. So, younger audiences who claim they don’t “use” Facebook may use Messenger exclusively, rather than smaller alternatives like WhatsApp and Telegram. This could be tied to Facebook Marketplace, since Messenger is an easy means of privately chatting with an interested buyer. It’s also worth noting that Facebook Messenger Kids is a great way for younger kids without phones to keep in touch with friends. Parents can monitor conversations and approve new friend additions. It was a lifesaver for me during COVID when my son couldn’t physically see anyone. But it’s useful even now for any parent of a grade schooler who isn’t ready for their own mobile device just yet, but uses a tablet at home.

Where do you get your news?

Follow the things you love

Facebook Pages are a great way to follow topics you love, whether it’s a fan page for a favorite TV show, a news site, a company, or a brand. Once you follow, your Feed will be inundated with relevant posts that suit your interests (admittedly also with ads, no matter what pages you follow), which makes Facebook Feed just as scrollable as Instagram or TikTok. It’s not necessarily as video-focused unless you use Reels. But it’s great for those who prefer written updates and links to websites where they can learn more and want to keep on top of local community businesses and updates.

Speaking of which, it’s also useful for news. Hootsuite notes that 38% of Facebook users get their news regularly from the platform. I can confidently say that any time a celebrity passes away, Facebook is usually the first place I learn about it! If you prefer bits of content, Facebook’s Reels provide an Instagram-like experience.

The stigma is unfounded

Just admit it … you use it!

The reason no one admits to using Facebook might be part of a desire to come across as trendy and “with the times.” If you mention Facebook to a Gen-Z or Gen Alpha kid, you’ll probably get an intense eye roll or a wrinkling of the nose. To avoid seeming “old” or “out of touch,” it’s easier just to claim you don’t use it. For younger generations, especially, using Messenger or Marketplace probably doesn’t qualify in their minds as “using” Facebook. They’re simply using tools within Facebook. But this would still count them within that three-billion figure.

So, the next time someone declares that they’re not “on” Facebook or simply don’t use it, consider that they are probably one of the three billion people who actually do contribute to making Facebook one of the most popular social media apps. Yes, it’s used more frequently by older generations, and in a limited fashion by younger ones. But almost everyone is still on there in some capacity (there are, of course, the odd outliers). Facebook is like the deviled eggs at the party that everyone claims they hate, yet. Yet somehow, those seem to be the first things to disappear from the food table.