Facebook wants to nudge you into ‘meaningful’ online groups as Zuckerberg seeks to make the world a less divisive place
Facebook groups – ad hoc collections of people united by a single interest – have only 130 million users currently, but the social media giant intends to grow that to over 1 billion in five years
At Facebook, mere “sharing” is getting old. Finding deeper meaning in online communities is the next big thing.
Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg is no longer satisfied with helping people share baby pictures and live video – or fake news and hate symbols – via the social network he created. So the Facebook founder wants to bring more meaning to its now 2 billion monthly active users by nudging them into online groups that bring together people with common passions, problems and ambitions.
Much like the creation of Facebook itself – the largest social-engineering project in history – that shift could have broad and unanticipated consequences. Facebook will apply the same powerful computer algorithms that made its service irresistible to so many people to the task of nudging users towards groups they’ll find equally appealing.
That would also have the effect of encouraging people to spend more time on Facebook, which could boost the company’s profits.
While the company doesn’t currently place ads in its groups, it “can’t speak to future plans”, said Alex Deve, the product director for Facebook Groups, in a statement.