Is it time for a digital detox?

Social media has been in the spotlight more than usual lately, and not for positive reasons. Snapchat saw stocks tumble multiple times in recent weeks, while Facebook is taking heat following news that it essentially gave away users’ personal data. This has spawned numerous discussions about social media, including several on this blog. Privacy is at the forefront of people’s concerns, as well as how much we are or aren’t controlled by social media. In the midst of this turmoil, you have to wonder – are people ready for a digital detox and what does that mean for communicators?

In the wake of Facebook’s recent news, some sources have suggested alternatives to Facebook. Twitter is an obvious choice, but there are also a host of up-and-coming platforms, like Path, Raftr, and Vero (Broida, 2018). At the same time, the WhatsApp co-founder tweeted this week that it’s time to delete Facebook, which got the #deletefacebook hashtag trending (Newton, 2018).

Millennials and Generation Z are commonly viewed as the most ubiquitous social media users, always glued to their phones. But even this may be changing. In a recent editorial, one blogger interviewed several teenage girls who decided to put their phones down and take a break from social media (Kourkounis, 2018). Kourkounis (2018) goes on to cite a 2017 poll conducted by a nonprofit that found that over fifty percent of teens have started to step back from their digital lives, particularly social media. Reasons vary, from wanting to avoid drama or hoping to focus on non-digital activities (Kourkounis, 2018).

Image from http://www.truworthwellness.com/blog/digital-detox-for-improving-your-health.html

Social media is hard to leave. Whether you still use it frequently or not, you likely have a Facebook page, and you probably use Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, or any of the other social media networks out there. But let’s say people truly do hop on board the #deletefacebook bandwagon, or more teens decide to put their phones down. That disconnect is a detriment to communicators, who thrive on using digital sources to market their brands.

As Statt (2018) notes, Facebook—and all social media, really—is a living, breathing ecosystem. Businesses rely on social media to drive awareness, advertise, and connect with consumers. Facebook is an established mainstay of online marketing (whether Facebook has remained relevant to younger audiences over recent years is another debate). If consumers turn away from Facebook and focus on new platforms, communicators must evolve with the changing marketing landscape. If we ever hit a tipping point and more people put away their phones and detach from being plugged in 24/7, communicators and marketers will need to look ahead to find the next big idea, whatever that may be.

What do you think? Is Facebook in any real danger? Has social media passed its peak? Would you do a social media (or smartphone) detox?

References

Broida, R. (2018, March 22). Social-media alternatives to Facebook [Blog post}. Retrieved from https://www.cnet.com/how-to/social-media-alternatives-to-facebook/

Kourkounis, J. (2018, March 22). On a break: Teens ghost social media [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://whyy.org/segments/on-a-break-teens-ghost-social-media/

Newton, C. (2018, March 20). WhatsApp co-founder tells everyone to delete Facebook [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/20/17145200/brian-acton-delete-facebook-whatsapp

Statt, N. (2018, March 22). Boycotting digital monopolies like Facebook is harder than it seems [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/22/17152922/delete-facebook-boycott-cambridge-analytica-tech-monopoly-data-privacy