Shares in the social media giant fell after the changes were announced in a post by founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. By Andy Hayes, News Reporter - content - SKY NEWS Facebook is changing the way its news feed works to encourage "more meaningful social interactions" and reduce the amount of content from "businesses, brands and media". In a post on the social media site, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said branded content was "crowding out the personal moments that lead us to connect more with each other". Shares of Facebook were down 4%, after he said the shift was likely to mean that the time people spend on the site would decrease in the short-term.
Mr Zuckerberg said that "video and other public content have exploded on Facebook in the past couple of years" meaning there is "more public content than posts from your friends and family". That has shifted the balance "away from the most important thing Facebook can do - help us connect with each other".
Mr Zuckerberg said the company had examined academic research on social media. He said it showed that when sites such as Facebook were used to connect with "people we care about", they can improve well-being.
"We can feel more connected and less lonely," he said, "and that correlates with long-term measures of happiness and health." In contrast, "passively reading articles or watching videos - even if they're entertaining or informative - may not be as good"
Branded content will not only be reduced - its content will be "held to the same standard" as posts from friends and family. "It should encourage meaningful interactions between people," Mr Zuckerberg said. There have been serious concerns about the effect social media can have on people's mental health, particularly children and teenagers. A Facebook vice president, John Hegeman, said advertising on the site would be unaffected.
Facebook is the largest social media network in the world, with more than two billion monthly users. Don’t worry The Consult Centre will post a video for you all to learn how to combat the changes coming our way in Business, so keep your eyes peeled on our group https://www.facebook.com/groups/The... for your free content guide this weekend !