Facebook Users Switching Loyalties
For the past several years many considered Facebook to be a monopoly in the social networking arena. However, most recently new networking sites, such as Google Plus are releasing tools that are on par to compete with the Facebook giant, causing many of Facebook’s users to perhaps switch their loyalty to sites like Google Plus. Furthermore, specifically teenagers are becoming discouraged with Facebook’s constantly changing site setup and user interface. Most do not find the constant switches to be conducive to their time on the site. The idea of switching from one social networking site to another as a result of decreased affinity towards the once popular site exhibits concepts of decision making and networks as well as positive externalities of networks.
A surprisingly high number of those polled said that as a result of constant interface changes they would be willing to spend less time or drop Facebook entirely and switch to using Google Plus. The teenagers in this study seem to be moving in the direction of the trend which asserts that Google Plus is seen to be “cleaner and more social than Facebook.” This movement of teenagers to a trendier site exemplifies the concept of decision making and networks since it shows how teenagers are observing one another and following each other’s decisions to choose a social networking site. In this case there is a direct benefit by following this trend as those who do spend time on a site that is seen as cleaner and more social.
Additionally, the concept of positive externalities is exhibited in this situation because social networking sites thrive on a high number of users. In this case, we are dealing with a specific age 14-17 year olds who are switching their loyalties. This means that if a high number of this age group switches to Google plus it would have a positive effect on other 14-17 year olds to switch to Google Plus as well. By using the same social networking site as those their age they are able to connect and communicate with friends and acquaintances, the very intention of social networking.