Social media sites and why it's hard to leave

Earlier this year, Caddle surveyed users on their relationships with social media and awareness of the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal. Not surprisingly, Facebook remains the most-used platform among users from Boomers (64%) to Generation X (64%) to Millennials (59%), while Gen Z users are favouring Instagram at 36% versus Facebook at 23%.

Social media sites

In March, USA Today reported the trend of users parting from Facebook and prioritizing Instagram for social networking. Citing Pew Research Centre, USA Today highlighted that “…800 million people log in to Instagram at least once a month, 500 million of them every day… 35% of US adults use Instagram, an increase of 7% from 2016.” This comes as no surprise to TechCrunch editor Josh Constine, who explains that, “Every social network has a half-life. Eventually parents get on it, grandparents get on it, your boss gets on it. And you don’t want to hang out with them.”

…800 million people log in to Instagram at least once a month, 500 million of them every day… 35% of US adults use Instagram, an increase of 7% from 2016.

Social media sites

And yet, with the dominance of Facebook and the rise of its subsidiary Instagram, many Instagram users are unaware of the connection and their privacy risks with the revelation of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. CBS News reported in April that almost 57% of Americans do not know that Facebook owns Instagram. The lack of representation regarding this relationship is purely intentional, too – to this day, there are no evident branding ties between Facebook and Instagram platforms, nor Facebook’s other biggest subsidiaries such as WhatsApp and Oculus VR. This may change with the recent exit of top Instagram executives Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger following a contentious year between Instagram and Facebook; The Verge is predicting “the end of Instagram as we know it.”

Social media sites

If you’re an avid Instagram user and think you may be affected by the Facebook security breach, Tech Crunch provides a thorough guide on what to know and what to do next.