Instagram a Hit, Facebook and Twitter Less Popular Among Teenagers: Study

A new study conducted by an investment bank, Piper Jaffray, has found that kids prefer Instagram and Twitter compared to Facebook. The survey was conducted on 7,200 students, who were between the age groups of 13 to 19. They found that children between these age groups preferred other social networking platforms.

Last May 2013, the researchers found that Facebook was their highest priority, but a new research conducted between fall 2014 and spring 2014 that the usage among the teens dropped from 72 per cent to 45 per cent. According to the Washington Post, more than 50 per cent of the teenagers did not have Facebook on the list of social networking sites that they use.

The survey took into account, the student's gender, family income and their likes and dislikes on several other products like the Apple products. They found that Apple products were the favourite of the majority. 16 percent were interested in the iWatch. They are also looking forward to watch movies on Netflix.

The study states, with regard to their preferences for social networking sites, that the kids are influenced by adults. Moreover, the anonymity that is enjoyed on the web is something that has caught their fancy, as they can get away from "the confines and responsibilities of a fixed online identity." Pointing to sites like Whisper or Yik Yak that has a majority of college students as users, the survey states that parent's too would have a problem in keeping check on their children's activities on the web. These sites are not like Facebook and give the users the liberty of being anonymous, they have the option of using pseudonymous usernames. Washington Post reported that this is why Whisper has become popular.

Facebook is not among their top choices because of the growing amount of users who are adults, since there is always a threat of being watched by family members, they choose other platforms with better privacy. Though Facebook is not on their top priority, the kids have opted for Instagram, so either way there is no loss.

According to Tech Times, to tackle this problem, Facebook has begun the work on a, "stand alone anonymous app."