Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has initiated a dramatic change in Facebook’s policy by returning to what he calls the “OG Facebook” experience. The initiative is aimed at taking the platform back to its original purpose of connecting people with friends and family. The first step in this process is the introduction of a revamped Friends tab, which will be introduced first among users in the United States and Canada.
The new Friends tab is designed to provide users a designated space to view updates from their friends and family without the interruption of suggested content from brands or elsewhere. The tab will contain a scrolling list of updates, such as photos, video stories, text posts, birthday alerts, and friend requests. It replaces an older tab that primarily displayed new friend requests and suggested connections.
This shift indicates Meta recognizing that the core social networking aspect of Facebook had become overrun with other aspects and forms of content. Over the years, the main feed of Facebook evolved to include a mix of recommended posts, brand posts, and community posts, which tended to push updates from friends and family to the background. The Friends tab is also designed to help restore the old charm of Facebook by giving the users a place where they can stay updated on their friends’ activities.
The decision to revive the “OG Facebook” experience comes on the heels of Mark Zuckerberg’s desire to have Facebook become culturally pertinent again by revisiting its roots. Speaking in Meta’s Q4 earnings call earlier this year, Zuckerberg indicated the importance of bringing the people back to the original use of the site. He explained that while Facebook had expanded to include Groups, Video, and Marketplace, its foundation of keeping friends connected lost some of its authenticity.
The introduction of the Friends tab is one of several steps the company is taking to enhance the social networking experience on Facebook. Over the next year, Meta will roll out additional features that will increasingly focus the site on its original mission. These efforts are also part of a broader effort to acquire and retain users, particularly younger groups who have increasingly migrated to platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.
Despite the pressure to return to its roots, Meta will not be eliminating recommended content altogether. What the company rather intends to do is strike a balance between the personalized content and updates from friends and family members. The users will continue to have access to the Home feed, including algorithmic recommendations, but will now be able to prioritize the updates of their friends through the Friends tab.
The shift towards a more personalized and friend-based experience is one part of a larger trend in social media, in which users are looking for more authentic interactions. While other sites like TikTok and YouTube have become more passive entertainment platforms, Facebook is positioning itself as a network in which profound connections can be formed between individuals. Through the revival of aspects of its early history, Facebook is attempting to recapture some of the magic that made it an innovative social network.
