As Facebook ages, teens look elsewhere to connect

SAN FRANCISCO: Manon, 17, has a facebook account but to connect with her friends she turns to other social networks like Instagram or Snapchat.
"I don't use it to post status updates or personal information," the San Francisco teen says.

Manon maintains her Facebook account to be able to stay in touch with the large number of users on the huge social network and as a "gateway" to log into other apps.

"But to communicate with my friends, it's Snapchat," the high schooler said.

"Everyone says Facebook is out of date. I think it's because all the parents are on Facebook." As Facebook has grown into a network of more than two billion people globally it has lost its luster for younger users who made up a core base.

While Facebook has become one of the world's most valuable and powerful companies, it's no longer seen as a cool destination for teens, who are turning to Snapchat and Instagram, which is owned by Facebook.

According to a Pew Research Center survey this year, 51 % of US teens ages 13 to 17 use Facebook, compared with 72 % for Instagram and 69 % who are on Snapchat. The survey found 85 % used the Google video sharing service YouTube.

But Facebook remains king of the social media space and is still growing, though more slowly than in past years.