Newly uncovered internal emails from Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook Inc.) reveal how top executives grappled with the platform’s declining cultural relevance, especially among younger demographics, over the past several years.
The documents, obtained by TechCrunch, detail an internal crisis unfolding between 2022 and 2024, as Meta leaders debated the future of Facebook amid falling engagement from Gen Z users and increasing competition from apps like TikTok, BeReal, and Snapchat.
“We’re no longer the app people open first—or even daily,” one senior Meta executive wrote in a 2023 email thread. “We’ve become the background noise.”
🧠 From Dominance to Disconnect
Facebook was once the centerpiece of global online culture, but the emails reveal a growing sense of urgency and identity crisis inside Meta as the company struggled to adapt its flagship product.
Key concerns outlined in the emails include:
- The platform’s aging user base and failure to resonate with Gen Z
- A rise in “content fatigue” among creators and users alike
- Frustration over Facebook’s interface being perceived as “bloated and outdated”
- Anxiety about losing relevance in a “culture driven by short-form spontaneity”
In one thread, an executive said that Facebook had become the “email of social media“—still useful, but no longer exciting.
📉 Declining Metrics and Strategy Shifts
The internal discussions coincided with reports of:
- Slower monthly active user growth
- Drop-offs in organic content sharing
- Weakening ad performance compared to Meta’s other platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp
Despite rolling out new features such as Reels integration, community feeds, and AI-powered recommendations, Facebook failed to recapture its central place in youth culture.
In 2024, Meta quietly restructured Facebook’s development team, pivoting toward AI-first engagement models and deprioritizing traditional features like groups and pages.
🗣️ Meta’s Response
A Meta spokesperson acknowledged the challenges but framed them as part of a broader evolution:
“We’ve consistently adapted our platforms to match how people connect. Facebook remains a vital product in our ecosystem, with strong engagement globally—especially among mature markets and enterprise users.”
Still, critics argue that Meta has become increasingly dependent on Instagram and WhatsApp to carry its brand forward, as Facebook’s influence continues to decline in cultural and strategic importance.
🔮 What’s Next for Facebook?
With Threads, AI avatars, and the metaverse pivot also in play, Meta’s future depends on retaining attention in an increasingly fragmented digital world. But the emails raise a hard question: Can a platform built in 2004 evolve fast enough to remain relevant in 2025 and beyond?
