Is Facebook Past Its Prime? Strong Signs Point to Yes.

The social media world is always changing and though some networks like Facebook have dominated for years, it's possible to lose the reins in a flash. After reviewing the recent article from PC World, it's possible the oh so popular site could be losing its cool, and fast.

In the first quarter of 2009, Facebook.com's "bounce rate" -- the percentage of visits to the site that consist of a single page view and then a quick exit -- has grown by a whopping 19 percent according to Alexa research data. The numbers suggest a large number of Facebookers are visiting the site, finding little of interest and promptly leaving.

Of course I approach the information from the perspective of someone who earns a living through the tangles of the World Wide Web, but I have to say, I see some strong signs for concern for the networking giant. Here are some reasons Facebook might be losing its grip on people's online networking lives according to PC World along with my personal thoughts on why:

1. Facebook veterans are defecting to Twitter

People who delight in constant updates are flocking to Twitter and the 140 character revolution. With a plethora of mobile apps, it's easy to update your Twitter profile on the go and has been from the start. Twitter has been linked closely to cell phones from inception providing SMS messages for Tweeps you want to stay connected with along with simple image postings from Twitpic and other photo sharing sites. The guys at Twitter also immediately shared the network's API to allow developers to build software that integrates with individual twitter profiles making it easy to link your cell phone, website, blog and photo accounts without having to go through the "Official Facebook" applications we see now.

2. People who actually have lives don't use Facebook

HaHaHa! I know I spend way too much time on the web already plugging away on website and marketing strategies, now you want me to update yet another profile and keep my wall updated with the deets of my life? Ugh. Check out my blog, my website, or even my Twitter feed for that stuff. As someone looking to grow their business through online connections, I don't see much value in updating my Facebook page with my personal information. In fact, sorry to disappoint but my Facebook wall is an exact feed from my twitter account. AND, to top it off, most of my Facebook "friends" are probably bored already with my social media and online marketing blurbs all day. Sorry kids, I've got work to do.

3. In the real world, people often have good reasons for losing touch with old friends

I've said it before and I'll say it again.....Facebook connects you with people you know, Twitter connects you with people you want to know. I'm glad all my high school friends are happy and healthy, but it's all too much sometimes. With Twitter, I'm connected to people in my industry and involved in trends and activities I want to participate in. I can stay connected with worldwide news, green trends and topics, along with find useful deets for my clients and San Diego web design firm to use in online marketing strategies. Meanwhile, my Facebook network connects me with rediscovered friends and seems to offer plenty of opportunities to recall the reasons I lost contact with them in the first place. No wonder Facebook recently allowed users to "hide" their friends and skip some of the BS.

4. Having too many friends takes the edge off Facebook postings

So you've racked up a gazillion friends on Facebook and now you're back to social butterfly status....good luck speaking honestly about your thoughts and feelings now. It's no longer safe to post "I hate my job" or "Still hung over from last night" since your little sister and boss are all a part of your network and prepared to comment on your recent status. Huge networks can lead to PG rated content and dull the socks off your real life happenings.

Furthermore, how about those old pics and photo galleries from the ex-boyfriend or crazy night out? Have fun wasting a lot of time deleting and filtering through images and posts from the old days. Reinventing yourself is hard with a wall full of posts and pics that highlight your past, good or bad.

5. After that '25 things' note, there's not much left to say

With wall postings now littered with "Quiz Result" status updates on how well you know your long lost friend from gym class, or what kind of Sex and the City character you most resemble, it's obvious Facebook users are running out of material to blab about. There is nothing more to say so people are turning to annoying quizzes? Yikes, let's take a moment and pause at how lame that is.

Facebook's long-term survival is up to the people who use it. Though my hunch is Facebook isn't going anywhere anytime soon and is still of value to current users, I do suspect it will lose its cool with new, younger surfers along with techies and businesses. But hasn't that always been the trend with social networks? So yeah, I do think Facebook is on the decline and there is always the threat of the next big thing swooping away users and killing site traffic (which in turn kills ad revenue). But I don't think Twitter is that threat and I don't think it's going to be happening tomorrow. So relax Facebookers, sit back and enjoy another quiz on whether or not you prefer "Pie or Cake", I am going to get back to work.