The Fallacy Behind ‘Facebook Fatigue’

By Mikal E. Belicove|For Entrepreneur.com|August 23, 2011

You can call it “Facebook Apathy” or “Facebook Funk,” but “Facebook Fatigue” it isn’t.

The term “Facebook Fatigue” has wriggled its way into the business lexicon — most recently, in a pair of reports claiming there is flagging support for social media sites among users. The notion is that people are bored with Facebook and social networking in general or are finding other places to spend their social time online.

Although some people are in fact tired of Facebook and social networking in general or they’re finding other places to spend their social time online, the majority of people are holding tight. Instead of proving Facebook’s demise, the reports fail to key in on the most critical data: The act of “Liking” branded business pages is on the rise, and more people — not less — are using Facebook than when they first signed up.

In a recent Gartner survey, which polled 6,300 people aged 13 to 74 about their social media usage, twenty-four percent said they are using their favorite social media utility or platform less than when they first signed up. However, another 37 percent said they are using it more.

Separately, a Global Web Index report notes a decline in consumers who are using social media to find new contacts, join a member-managed group or send messages to their friends. From July 2009 to July 2010, Global Web Index says…

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