Are you still on Facebook?
I mean, when you ask it like that ...
I joined a new gym recently, and the owner asked me a question that embarrassed us both. No, it had nothing to do with my fitness goals.
Instead, it went like this:
“Our classes and schedules are posted in a Facebook group. Um … are you still on … Facebook?”
I suppose neither of us wanted to admit that:
(a) we are old enough to have been active on Facebook back in the day, and
(b) we might also be behind-the-times enough to be on it even now, in 2025.
There are many reasons that Facebook has fallen out of favor, of course: privacy, politics, pure exhaustion … but here are two factors that will become relevant:
Back in the day, Facebook’s original attraction was that it offered a largely chronological feed of updates from friends and family—and only, friends and family.
Then, like almost everything else online, it took a turn for the worse. Quite a few turns, in fact, to the point that Facebook now is mostly a feed of ads, algorithms, time-wasting reels, and AI-generated slop content.
Why can’t someone bring back that old-time Facebook feed that people actually used?
Oh, look: It’s back.
Last month, nearly 19 years after Facebook introduced its “feed” feature, Meta rolled out a new “Friends” tab. It’s prominently displayed on the Facebook app and fairly easily to navigate to on desktop.
The Friends tab, according to Meta, née Facebook, “will now show content just from your Facebook friends, no recommended content.”
More details:
Connecting with friends has been a part of Facebook since it launched. Over the years, Facebook evolved to meet changing needs and created best-in-class experiences across Groups, Video, Marketplace, and more, but the magic of friends has fallen away.
We’ll be adding several “OG” Facebook experiences throughout the year, beginning with the revamped Friends tab.
So far, the Friends tab is available only in the U.S. and Canada.
In fairness, yes, I am still on Facebook, sort of—largely because, much like my new gym, some other groups that I follow started there a decade or so ago.
If you want to follow some of the events going on in my town, for example, there aren’t many alternatives to a handful of Facebook groups that tend to keep pace.
Still, I’m not alone among users who were prime Facebook user age when it first launched, and who used it a lot back then, but who only rarely open it now—maybe a few minutes every few days to check those groups.
Also, I almost never post anything at all.
That said, I tried the “Friends” feed, and as Facebook promises, it is “an experience made up entirely of content from your Facebook friends.”
To find the Friends feed, go to the bottom of the Facebook app, and the second icon to the left should be labeled simply “Friends.” On desktop (are you still doing that?), you should be able to find a similar feed here, or else go to the “Feeds” link on the left side, and then click “Friends.”
But, here’s a caveat.
Meta says it has 3.3 billion “active daily people” (including Instagram, WhatsApp, and its other brands). That’s up 5 percent from a year before.
It also reported three billion “monthly active users” on Facebook itself.
But, once-a-month isn’t that much for a social media app. Moreover, it sure looks like a lot of users are consuming content, not creating it.
Not even quick “happy birthday” messages or “so surprised to have received the player of the year award” humble brags.
So, even if you once upon a time had a lot of Facebook “friends,” there’s a good chance your “Friends” feed now will consist largely of a small number of people who post over and over.
The rest of us are just lurking: checking out the town gossip and looking up the class schedules at the gym.
All of this probably goes back to why Facebook is rolling this out in the first place:
Meta clearly sees AI as the future. And in order to train its AI, Meta needs users to post content.
Read that line again, if you don’t mind.
I think it’s probably too late. But check it out for yourself, and let us know what you find.
That is, if you’re still on Facebook.
7 other things worth knowing today
Canada's elections are today: Liberals appear likely to win; that said, it ain't over until it's over, eh? Some pollsters are talking about "strange data" in the surveys that might portend a last-minute upset. Anyone want to make a prediction in the comments? (Politico)
The funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday drew a crowd to St. Peter's Square that included kings and queens, presidents and prime ministers, cardinals and archbishops, as well as thousands of devoted followers touched by his commitment to the poor, his defense of the world's migrants, and his outreach to those long marginalized by the church. (CBS News)
A rising number of Americans are claiming Social Security benefits earlier than planned, even though it can mean less income over the rest of their lives, apparently because they're afraid that the program will see major changes in the current climate. More than 75% of U.S. adults worry a great deal or a fair amount about Social Security, a 13-year high, according to a March Gallup poll. Democrats expressed greater concern than Republicans. (WSJ)
The Drug Enforcement Administration says a raid carried out with other law enforcement agencies in Colorado Springs on Sunday led to the capture of more than 100 immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally. The raid appears to be one of the largest single-day arrests of people without legal status since President Trump was inaugurated. (NPR)
More Americans are financing groceries with buy now, pay later loans — and more are paying those bills late, a new survey says. (NBC News)
A letter written onboard the Titanic just days before the ship sank has sold for nearly $400,000 — far surpassing auction expectations. In the letter, Colonel Archibald Gracie, who survived the catastrophe, wrote: "It is a fine ship, but I shall await my journey's end before I pass judgment on her." (People)
One lucky California driver will soon receive a license plate with the number 9ZZZ999, marking the end of an era for Golden State motorists. The reason? The state is running out of possible alphanumeric combinations, and will have to introduce something new after 45 years. (LAist)
Thasks for reading. Photo by Deeksha Pahariya on Unsplash. I wrote about some of this before at Inc.com. See you in the comments.
Never been on Facebook
I've never been on FB. When my kids played sports I'd get texts, along with other parents like me, "For the Parents Not on FB" and the information we needed. I used to get a rash from people telling me it would be easier if I would just join FB. I wasn't going to join a social media platform just so I could be informed as to who's turn it was to pick up the bagels for a Saturday away game. If there was anything of importance to get out to us, the kids told us after practice or they'd be in touch with other teammates who had the info from their parents who were on FB. I was told once that, for business purposes, I needed to have a FB account. I agreed as long as there was someone else who was going to maintain it. That was the end of the mandate.