It is official: Even Facebook admits that teens are tiring of the social network as they turn to newer 'cooler' apps such as Snapchat

PUBLISHED: 17:50 EST, 3 March 2013 | UPDATED: 08:21 EST, 4 March 2013

Facebook has made the startling admission that teenagers are becoming bored with the social networking giant.

Facing competition from younger, more agile and 'cooler' apps such as Snapchat and Instagram, Facebook fears its long-term business could be harmed.

And as Facebook approaches its tenth anniversary the firm published its annual 10-K report last month revealing that its younger users are increasingly turning away from the multi-billion dollar business.

Not So Cool: Almost ten years after he created Facebook in his Harvard dorm room - Mark Zuckerberg is being told that teens do not find his social networking product cool anymore

Published last month, the annual company report states, 'We believe that some of our users, particularly our younger users, are aware of and actively engaging with other products and services similar to, or as a substitute for, Facebook.

'For example, we believe that some of our users have reduced their engagement with Facebook in favor of increased engagement with other products and services such as Instagram.

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'In the event that our users increasingly engage with other products and services, we may experience a decline in user engagement and our business could be harmed.'

The sobering admission that they need to sharpen their public image comes as Facebook Director of Product Blake Ross announced in scathing terms why he was leaving the social networking powerhouse.

Teens are increasingly becoming bored of using Facebook according to new studies and by the firm's own admission

Teenagers are turning to apps such as Snapchat to communicate and find Facebook boring

'I’m leaving because a Forbes writer asked his son’s best friend Todd if Facebook was still cool and the friend said no, and plus none of HIS friends think so either even Leila who used to love it, and this journalism made me reconsider the long-term viability of the company.'

Maybe because of the seriousness of his jesting post, Ross pulled the message from his Facebook page.

However, it did not divert from the fact that teenagers are very often a plausible, but non-scientific barometer for trends - especially what is cool and what is not.

Indeed, the founder and of new social networking site Branch, Josh Miller, asked his fifteen-year-old sister for her opinion on Facebook.

Her verdict was damning: 'She tries to visit Facebook as infrequently as possible,' Miller wrote, because it’s addictive, and because it’s not as fun as Instagram. 'Facebook may have an irreversibly bad brand,' Miller concluded.

Web-expert, Laura Portwood-Stacer was more concise in her opinion of how Facebook relates to today's teenagers.

'I think it has less to do with kids consciously looking for 'the next big thing' than Facebook just no longer being a space that serves them,' said Laura Portwood-Stacer.

Younger people are now looking for more intimate methods of communication online

'I think kids are less self-conscious about trying to be cool than marketers would like to think,' she added.

Teenagers are turning to sites like Tumblr and apps like Snapchat and Instagram as their preferred methods of communication.

'Tumblr is mainly my obsession as of now,' said 15-year-old Collin Wisniewski to The Verge.

'It just seems more intimate and its not really a place of bragging, but more of a place of sharing.'

Apps such as Snapchat give power to younger users who do not like the idea of their images existing forever and tagged on Facebook,

'I would say that this app really is one of my major communicating devices more than really a social network,' said Wisniewski.

However, this does not mean that teens are leaving Facebook similar in manner to the demise of MySpace.

They are simply using the service less and other newer products more.

And, of course, monetarily, Facebook owns Instagram and is still at the forefront of mobile device apps.

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And my 'cool' relatives think I'm so'uncool' because I hardly ever access my FB account. Yes! I have an account, but I've admonished my younger sister more than once not to scribble-down all of her life's woes on FB. A billion people don't need to know, nor will they give a rat's okole! BTW... I'm 60yo, 'little sis' is 53yo. I do believe way too much time gets wasted on FB, but not a few folks certainly made a ton of moolah from it!

- PapaUmMaoMao , Honolulu, 05/3/2013 00:43

Click to rate Rating 8

Facebook is a stalker! -- Everywhere one goes on the Internet, there's Facebook trying to get your attention! Enough is enough! Stop Facebook's intrusive presence everywhere! Too many media sites cannot be visited without the horrible Facebook routine! Stop it!

- jdwill , Donmuang, 05/3/2013 00:12

Click to rate Rating 23

Myspace became more buggy and harder to use, with less options for tailored privacy. Now Facebook is doing it. At least Facebook is avoiding one fatal mistake of Myspace.... and that is gooing up the webpages to make them more "magaziny" at first glance, but along with that came sluggishness and and infinite amount of unfixed bugs. For some reason, executives engineers are not very intelligent it seems. Many websites have the same problem.

- HarloweThrombey , Burbank, 05/3/2013 00:07

Click to rate Rating 7

Facebook is too much like the cheese in the mousetrap.

- Betty Jenkum , Inglewood, United States, 05/3/2013 00:06

Click to rate Rating 9

Facebook will fail because no one cares if you are eating a ham sandwich and need to tell everyone in your social circle about the same.

- Dan Balbi , Hollywood, United States, 04/3/2013 23:51

Click to rate Rating 19

Facebook cannot keep up with my multiple personalities.

- timej31 , Hanover, 04/3/2013 23:06

Click to rate Rating 24

Oh, Happy Day! I know my kids prefer snap chat ... I have always thought facebook was a colossal waste of time ... oh, how I hope it finds its way fast to the trash heap of technology history along with aol and my space.

- Miss America , Anytown, United States, 04/3/2013 22:53

Click to rate Rating 22

FB has many private settings. I use them and I haven't had any problems and my whole family uses FB to keep in touch. Just depends how you use it and I keep in touch with my daughter who goes away to school. There will always be new social networks and sites that teens and others will try. Nothing and no one starts on top forever but there are always oldies but goodies that stay with us. :-) Just ignore the ads and change the privacy settings so only your friends can see what is going on with you. Peace all. :-) Have a great night.

- Bdwybabe39 , Elmont, United States, 04/3/2013 22:41

Click to rate Rating 4

I think FB is starting to lean more toward the older group-- which is not bad at all. I have gotten in touch with so many people I wouldnt have been able to meet again if it wasnt through FB .And we all have fun, share memories, stories, and support each other in times we need some human compassion and a helping hand. Let the older generations have their day. :-). Have a great day all. :-)

- Bdwybabe39 , Elmont, United States, 04/3/2013 22:29

Click to rate Rating 11

It is just getting boring, with so many ads and so many people posting nonsense

- Wilhelm Da Sad , Euphoria, 04/3/2013 22:21

Click to rate Rating 41

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