Facebook Inc (FB) Trying to Head Off This Growing Social Segment

Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) is losing its cool. And it didn’t take long, either. The ubiquitous social network needed less than 10 years to lose its cool factor. According to surveys of usership on the social site, average age has been trending toward adults, especially those who are of “parenting” age. (This was documented here.) And anything that the parents are involved in almost immediately makes that “uncool,” especially to a younger generation.

It is very difficult for Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) – or any other “cool” trend in culture – to get the coolness factor once it is Facebook Inc. (FB)lost. It likely will mean a new evolution or full re-construction into something that looks reinvented before what was cool can be cool again. With that in mind, the question will be whether making dramatic changes and upgrades to a messaging app will constitute just an evolution or a re-invention to make it cool again to use Facebook to chat with friends and contacts on the social network.

With the further development of the Messenger service on Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB), it seems pretty clear that Facebook is feeling the heat in staying relevant in te chat and instant-messaging segment of social tech, what with the many free texting services like WhatsApp and Viber that are available to users. Compared to the features on those other serivces, Facebook Messenger has also become pretty “uncool.” So in response, Facebook is developing Stickers and Chat Heads as new features on its Messenger service and on the Facebook mobile app.

Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) Stickers are simply animated designs that users can insert into an instant message (similar to an emoticon), while Chat Heads are pop-up photos of contacts. When a message is sent or received, the contact’s profile photo appears on a user’s home screen, and the user can then tap on the image to begin a chat session. The feature is available on mobile devices even if a user does not have the Facebook Messenger standalone app; Faebook says that those with the Facebok mobile app on their mobile devices will be able to use the Messenger app’s features, inclluding Stickers and Chat Heads.

Do you have any thoughts about Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) uncoolness? Does this uncoolness affect the strategies of investors like fund manager Leon Cooperman (see his full equity portfolio)? Does the decreased lack of engagement by users protend difficulties for investors and the company? Give us your feedback in the comments section below.

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