Facebook – Making Teenagers
Unhappy ?
Young people’s experience of social networking in
2012
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In summary
!  
Facebook’s current dominance is not in any doubt. During January 2012, Facebook took up around
18% of people’s entire internet time in the UK*. Google+, launched to much fanfare in terms of its potential
to rival Facebook, has so far failed to rack up sufficient numbers of subscribers to pose a real threat
!  
BUT along with slowing growth, there are some signs that a substantial proportion of users are having
negative experiences of Facebook – in terms of bullying, but also in terms of self-esteem and selfimage issues.
• 
31% of young people have previously tried to delete, or considered deleting their Facebook
accounts
• 
13% plan to use the site less often in the next 12 months
• 
Nearly half of all young women feel that Facebook increases an obsession with appearance
• 
Over a quarter of young men think Facebook increases the acceptance of sexually-provocative
clothing
• 
Negative feelings induced by Facebook include:
• 
• 
Vulnerability to bullying (44%)
• 
Increased negative self-esteem (28%)
• 
Depression caused by overemphasis on comparing one’s life to others (25%)
• 
Jealousy of other people (24%)
Generally, young women are more at risk than young men of suffering the adverse effects of
Facebook
* Source - ComScore
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Bidding farewell or ‘Fuicide’?
Are the brakes coming on for Facebook?
A substantial proportion of users have had a sufficiently bad experience of
Facebook to cause them to delete (or attempt to delete) their accounts
reasons among those 31% include:
31% of users have deleted
their Facebook accounts
(or are considering doing so)
Q16b - For what reason(s) did you delete your Facebook account or be tempted to?
Base: All respondents who deleted their account or been tempted to (93)
%
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Social networks have fast-paced growth, unpredictable
evolution – Facebook’s dominance cannot be guaranteed
Facebook remains huge, but there’s a growing groundswell of dissatisfaction
Notable decrease in Facebook’s
growth (over a six-monthly
period) in 2011-2012:
150m new users
Source: Facebook
45m new users
13% of Facebook users predict
that they will be using the site
less over the next 12 months
% of respondents
Q8c – How do you think your usage of these sites with change in the next 12 months?
Base: Facebook (300), Twitter (108)
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Tangible levels of unhappiness with Facebook
Close to half of all respondents associate Facebook with an increase in
bullying, and for around a quarter, the site stirs serious self-image issues
% agreeing with each statement
Especially among females
(45%)
Especially among females (32%)
and 16-18 yr olds (34%)
Q15a/Q16c. How much do you agree/disagree with the following statements?
Base = 300
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Pressures on how you present yourself to the world
Exaggerating the truth and being more sexually risqué/available is
seen as common practice which adds to the pressure.
Males understandably feel less threatened and have fewer negative
associations which is perhaps why they are less likely to leave Facebook,
they also appear more comfortable with increased incentive to exaggerate
% agreement with:
‘Facebook lets me exaggerate
the truth about my life’
% agreement with:
‘Facebook makes it more
acceptable to wear revealing/
provocative clothes’
Q15a/Q16c. How much do you agree/disagree with the following statements?
Base = Total (300)
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Facebook deleters – often those with negative
experiences
Age, gender and personal attitudes to Facebook all play a part
The ‘deleters’ are statistically more likely to:
•  Be female (57% vs. 43% male)
•  Feel that Facebook encourages negative self-esteem, bullying and an obsession
with appearance
(% for ‘non-deleters’):
(49%)
(51%)
(40%)
(20%)
(35%)
‘Deleters’ (%):
Q16a. Have you ever deleted your Facebook account or been tempted to delete it?
Base = Total (300)
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Facebook loyalty – motivated by fear?
For the majority of users, a fear of missing out on news, information or of losing
credibility among peers, is a key driver of usage
Q15a. How much do you agree/disagree with the following statements?
Base = 300
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Frustration at being unable to project their true selves
online?
Online, users see themselves less positively-more muted - as significantly less
loud, exciting and fun
Mean score difference of measures for real person vs.
online persona
1
0.8
= Rate real
self better
0.5
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.32
*
0.28
0.05
0.14
0.04
*
*
0.11
0.06
0
-0.2
= Rate
Facebook
persona better
-0.4
-0.6
-0.8
-1
Exciting
Confident
Friendly
Social
Fun
Loud
Kind
Satisfied with
life
* Significant at 95% confidence
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Q13 - Please indicate how you think your Facebook friends would describe you based on what you communicate on Facebook vs. Q18 – Please indicate how your friends in real life
would describe you
© Copyright 2012 Conquest Research & Consultancy Ltd. All rights reserved
Base: Total (300)
The Future of Social Media?
!   The range of social media networks is expanding widely. Particularly noteworthy
is the success of Pinterest, which has experienced tremendous growth this year –
especially among women – not only in terms of the number of subscribers, but also in
terms of time spent per individual at this site.
!   Some more niche networks are increasingly entering the equation – such as
Fashism, where the fashion-conscious post pictures of themselves wearing outfits which
they want others to give their feedback on. Similarly, MySpace – though somewhat
overshadowed by Facebook – has remained something of a stalwart among those with
an interest in music.
Could this be the future of social media? More niche networks catering for particular interests –
networks which users select in order to feel more comfortable, more inspired, and more
themselves?
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Appendix: Sample & Methodology
!   Sample:
!   300 respondents
!   All regular users of Facebook (at least twice a month, all to have had an account for at least 3
months)
!   All aged between 14 and 24 years old
!   25% 14-15yrs; 25% 16-18yrs; 25% 19-21yrs; 25% 22-24yrs
!   50% Male and 50% Female
!   Nationally representative on region
!   Methodology:
!   Recruitment via Research Now online Social Media Sampling (16-24 yr olds) and Research Now
Valued Opinions Panel (14-16 yr olds via their parents).
!   For the Social Media Sampling method, respondents will be contacted via Facebook and
incentivised with a relevant virtual currency which is credited immediately.
!   Length of interview approx. 20 minutes
!   Mix of rational and emotional measures to capture feelings
!   Also used Conquest’s avatar driven methodology Metaphorix™ to capture respondents’ authentic
feelings.
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