back to article How do you do, fellow kids? Facebook now Boomerbook as British oldies outnumber teens

We've said it before, we'll say it again – Facebook has been overrun by old people. And now someone's bothered to dig out some data to back that up. Analysis from digital marketing types Mulley Communications has observed UK youngsters fleeing the antisocial network in their droves this year. In January, 2.7 million 13-to-19- …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So...

    Over 65? Yep

    On FartBook? Are you serious? That place is for real oldies

    On Instagram? What with those just out of nappies? {I'm joking but compared to me they are}

    I can rest easy. I'm not associated with beige wearing people and hopefully never will be.

    Well, until the next study that is.

    1. Mark 85

      Re: So...

      I think this is being over analyzed. Kids are kids and don't want to hang out with mon, dad, and grandparents. When they older generation moves in, the kids move on to someplace else. We saw this with the place ran by "Tom" (MySpace, remember them?)... He sold it as the kids were moving on to FB while the old folks didn't until they sorted out where the kids moved to.

  2. Blackjack Silver badge

    Hey, remember the 2000s?

    So... Remember web forums, whatever happened to those things?

    1. Semtex451

      Re: Hey, remember the 2000s?

      I remember them from the '90s, which as we all know, was 10 years ago.

      1. katrinab Silver badge

        Re: Hey, remember the 2000s?

        There are people born in the 90s who now have teenage children. So far, not that many of them, but they will increase in numbers over the next few years.

      2. big_D Silver badge

        Re: Hey, remember the 2000s?

        And BBS and closed forums on services like Compu$erve.

        Places where you could chat civily with like minded people. I miss the good old days.

        1. wayward4now
          Big Brother

          Re: Hey, remember the 2000s?

          Anyone ever use Delphi?? The good ole command line days. I don't need stinking graphics because I can READ!

    2. Anonymous Coward Silver badge
      Stop

      Re: Hey, remember the 2000s?

      Sod this new-fangled forum nonsense. Whatever happened to BBS's?? And give me back my NNTP client.

      Now, get orf ma lawn.

      1. IGnatius T Foobar !

        Re: Hey, remember the 2000s?

        BBS's are still around if you look for them. And yes, they are better than Facebook.

        uncensored.citadel.org is my favorite.

    3. katrinab Silver badge
      Linux

      Re: Hey, remember the 2000s?

      You are looking at one this very minute.

      1. IGotOut Silver badge

        Re: Hey, remember the 2000s?

        "You are looking at one this very minute."

        Woossshhhh....gotta love that sound as it goes flying over your head.

    4. Ima Ballsy
      Windows

      Re: Hey, remember the 2000s?

      Hmmm ... how about news groups

      They are still around .....

      1. werdsmith Silver badge

        Re: Hey, remember the 2000s?

        TIN for iOS/Android

    5. Captain Scarlet Silver badge
      Unhappy

      Re: Hey, remember the 2000s?

      Ah yes the one I ran powered by ikonboard (Perl), then Invision Power Board (PHP). This itself took over from an IRC room on Quakenet and was hugely popular back in the day.

      The forum I ran die out of my own inability to keep an eye on my friends who were also admins (BIG MISTAKE!). By the time I realised what had happened there was a massive argument and power struggle, the community website which literally had millions of views per year and required a Dedicated Server (A Pentium 4 running WHM and cPanel because I was lazy), dived into the thousands within a month. Our users quite rightly decided to go elsewhere because I let people abuse their powers.

    6. abortnow

      Re: Hey, remember the 2000s?

      Some web forums are still serving a useful role.

      1. Prst. V.Jeltz Silver badge

        Re: Hey, remember the 2000s?

        yeah but no ones using them cos of facebook .

        see "any car club"

  3. Semtex451
    Holmes

    Could it finally be good news I'm reading?

    This article implies that the self obsessed, self promoting onanists on FB are finally unfashionable. Can Instagran be far behind?

    I'm hoping this is a sign that the folk on the interwebs are finally improving, that the lowest common denominator is trying to climb it's way out of the primordial soup.

    So please don't ruin my dreamy optimism

    1. don't you hate it when you lose your account

      Re: Could it finally be good news I'm reading?

      I'll be happy when the only user left is Zuck. He can then spend his time being antisocial to himself

    2. katrinab Silver badge
      Boffin

      Re: Could it finally be good news I'm reading?

      It tells you that children and young people don't want to hang out with their parents. You may remember going through that phase yourself.

  4. sabroni Silver badge

    Why change the name?

    Because if you're over 65 you don't have a face anymore?

    I don't understand the link between the demographic changing and the need to rename the product. Face doesn't mean young.

    1. werdsmith Silver badge

      Re: Why change the name?

      Yes, should be call TenaBook or something.

  5. Alan Bourke

    The kids are united.

    Teens today grew up with tech that means they never have to lose touch with anyone unless they want to. A fair chunk of the people on Facebook now didn't, and joined up at least in part so they could use it to dredge up old friends and family.

    1. ForthIsNotDead

      Re: The kids are united.

      That's very true. However, I would caution against looking up your old girlfriends... Okay, I should probably re-phrase that. Caution against getting in contact with your girlfriends and mates from school. I just recently heard from one of my best mates from school (1987 was our final year).

      Oh dear. Sometimes it's better to remember people the way they were, instead of becoming familarised with the idiot that they grew up to be. What a disappointment.

      Of course, he probably says the same thing about me.

      And some of the girls I had a crush on at school are proper boilers now.

      Of course, they probably say the same thing about me... :-)

      1. Anonymous Coward Silver badge
        Windows

        Re: The kids are united.

        Do you really think those girls had a crush on you?

        1. ForthIsNotDead

          Re: The kids are united.

          Some of them did, yes. I have the sainted memories of my first snogs, first hands-up-bras and... well other more steamy memories as proof! The last dance at the school disco was always a snog-fest. Those were the days. As I say, it's better to remember them as they were!

      2. el kabong

        I wish someone warned me against it back in 2011

        Left faecebook in 2015 but by then the damage was already done, I saw stuff there I wish I just could unsee. I never shared much on faecebook so I don't feel I caused much damage myself.

        Four years later what I saw there is mostly forgotten, I can remember it was bad but thankfully the details are getting fuzzier, I'll do my best to make sure I stay on that path.

  6. chivo243 Silver badge
    Windows

    not a cocaine delivery service

    I'll bet it is now! Once a good idea gets out...

    1. Andy Non Silver badge
      Paris Hilton

      Re: not a cocaine delivery service

      So you can order 3 grams from Instagram and 3 grans from facebook. What a party!

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: not a cocaine delivery service

        Someone please reach out to Wayne and invite him...

    2. jmch Silver badge
      Thumb Up

      Re: not a cocaine delivery service

      "Instagram is a photo-oriented network and not a cocaine delivery service"

      That one made me snort!

      I do have to say the name "Instagram" fits a cocaine delivery service far better

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: not a cocaine delivery service

        It occurred to me a while back, apropos of nothing in particular, that if there was a social network specifically for metallurgists, it should be called Sintergram...

        1. dajames

          Re: not a cocaine delivery service

          ...if there was a social network specifically for metallurgists, it should be called Sintergram...

          Great way to alienate ceramicists!

    3. Da Weezil

      Re: not a cocaine delivery service

      We had someone locally on faecebook advertising/boasting how he was buying/selling weed... can you guess how many days it was before he got a visit from several men in blue? An easy bust for posssession with intent to supply....

      *It should be noted that I DONT have an account, Zucks antisocial network was credited by the plod in the various news reports in local press as the source of information.

  7. Winkypop Silver badge
    Devil

    Wrinkleface!

    Find your friends when you forget their names!

    1. The Jon
      Joke

      Re: Wrinkleface!

      Facebook was invented by the Wrinkleface twins, wasn't it?

  8. el kabong

    "Young people are just smarter" and here is proof

    Zuck was right, maybe only half right when he stated that phrase but right, nonetheless.

    Pretty soon grannies everywhere will be moving to instagram, chasing their grandchildren there, young people will be moving elsewhere away from Zuck. With no youngsters left on any of zucks properties zuck will finally be fully right in stating: "young people are just smarter."

    1. teknopaul

      Re: "Young people are just smarter" and here is proof

      Young people may be smarter but old people have more capital.

      If the let him, Zuck will buy up competition.

      1. Ripper38
        Angel

        Re: "Young people are just smarter" and here is proof

        reg. "...Zuck will buy up competition". Spot on! I was wondering about the bit in the article that says: "...Mulley added that by 2040 "the majority of people on Facebook will be over 40" remark. That supposes that FB will still be around in 2040! Me thinks Zuck will see the change coming, milk the cow, buy something else and let FB die a quiet death, you know, like... Yahoo !

    2. the Jim bloke

      Re: "Young people are just smarter" and here is proof

      .. and the younguns will move on, and the oldies will follow, and the young will move again.... and every time the cycle will be faster - because thats what happens as you circle the plug hole before disappearing down the drain..

  9. Dinanziame Silver badge
    Devil

    > "Press F to pay respects."

    Ouch! Brutal.

  10. DaveyN

    F

    I was expecting to see a menu with statistics about people pressing F after I paid my respects.

    Did any anyone else press F like me?

    Did The Register miss a golden opportunity here?

    ...

    I should really contact my grandparents again...

    "F"

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It's not the ages, it's the disposable incomes ....

    Facebook(s executives) give not a toss about what demographics are using their advertising and data slurping site. They only care what the disposable income is by whatever dimension anyone is buying it by.

    1. Gene Cash Silver badge

      Re: It's not the ages, it's the disposable incomes ....

      Nope, the advertisers care... and the over-40s are smart enough to not spend on the fad-of-the-moment, so they don't want 'em.

  12. JohnFen

    So, not leaving Facebook then?

    Using Instagram (or any other Facebook product) is no better than using Facebook proper.

  13. Mark192

    Dad has just sent me a friend request!

    "Dad has just sent me a friend request!" I exclaimed up my sister.

    "I know, I've just accepted mine - I've sent you a list of photographs you'll need to delete".

  14. herman

    What is this facebook thing some old geezers at the pub are talking about?

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