Facebook has not been the favored platform for young people for years now. According to 2022 statistics by the Pew Research Center, only 32% of teenagers report using Facebook, representing a 39-point decline from 2014 to 2015. At the time, they accounted for 71% of the platform's younger users.
During the survey period, the majority of users were active on other popular platforms, such as Instagram (62%) and TikTok (67%).
Yet, despite the platform’s apparent decline, its Marketplace has kept the young users coming back. According to Entrepreneur, the remaining 32% of Gen Z Facebook users have made the selling platform a key part of their lives.
As University of Buffalo professor Charles Lindsay tells CNBC, Marketplace is the “flea market of the internet” where a “massive amount of consumer-to-consumer business” takes place.
But what is it about Facebook Marketplace that attracts the younger crowd? According to University of Georgia professor Yoo-Kyoung Seock, it’s because the platform offers both affordability and sustainability.
Transparency is also a big deal for younger consumers. According to Seock, people feel safer making transactions with individuals whose names and faces are visible on their Facebook profiles, unlike on Craigslist, where sellers often hide behind usernames.
In early 2025, Facebook Marketplace partnered with eBay, a pioneer in the online selling industry. According to eBay’s press release in January, it gives users a chance to “enjoy the benefits of broadening visibility” while also reaching a wider audience.
Not everyone can afford brand-new items or easily access flea markets or second-hand stores. Facebook Marketplace ticks both of those boxes, providing people with the convenience that the internet offers in today's world.
“Being able to thrift without leaving home does feel good, especially during the peaks of waves when I’m really not leaving home as much as maybe the average person,” Montreal-based cartoonist Gabrielle Drolet told Canadian outlet Global News in 2022.
