A Pew Research Center survey of 3,400 Facebook users showed that millennials under 30 years of age are fleeing Facebook. The research showed that 44 per cent of those between 18 and 29 years old said they had deleted the app from their phone in the last year. But some might have reinstalled it later.
Overall, 26 per cent of respondents said they deleted the app, while 42 per cent said that they have “taken a break” for several weeks or more, and 54 per cent have adjusted their privacy settings. About 74 per cent of Facebook users said they have taken at least one of these three actions in the past year, the survey found.
The Pew Research Center survey findings comes after it was revealed that Facebook allowed Cambridge Analytica to collect data on tens of millions of Facebook users without their knowledge. The survey of U.S. adults conducted between May 29-June 11, also comes on the heels of Faccebook’s intense scrutiny from conservative lawmakers and pundits over allegations it suppresses conservative voices.
The survey measured only the Facebook app, not Facebook-owned Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. It also did not measure Facebook users outside the United States.