Facebook Marketplace Is Keeping the Platform Relevant Among Young Users

Meta’s Facebook is just not as popular with the younger crowd as it used to be. A little over a decade ago, 71% of U.S. teenagers regularly used the social media platform, but that number has fallen to only 32% as of 2025. Yet, there is one Facebook feature that is keeping some young people active on the site — Marketplace.

“I only use Facebook for Marketplace,” explained Buffalo University student Mirka Arevalo, per CNBC. “I go in knowing what I want, not just casually browsing.”

To compete against eBay and Craigslist, Facebook opened Marketplace in 2016 as a platform to buy and sell goods online. Since then, its user base has grown to over 1.1 billion worldwide.

Described as the “flea market of the internet,” Marketplace drives a lot of consumer-to-consumer transactions. It has become especially popular as there is no seller listing fee like eBay or Etsy. For buyers, it’s easy to find nearby sellers, which effectively avoids shipping costs if an item can be purchased and picked up in the local area.

Why Are Younger People Drawn to Facebook Marketplace?

Social media plays a large role in how younger consumers shop. Preferring the convenience of online shopping, Gen Zers, in particular, use social media to research product trends, seek out product reviews, and listen to the advice of content creators. Social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram help them find the best deals for the products they want.

“Younger buyers are drawn to affordability and sustainability,” said University of Georgia professor Yoo-Kyoung Seock, according to CNBC. “Marketplace offers both.”

Younger Marketplace users also like the safety and trust that comes along with being able to view a seller’s Facebook profile. Other platforms, like Craigslist specifically, don’t usually have the same transparency or ability to get to know a seller before engaging in a purchase transaction.

By attracting younger users to Facebook through Marketplace, the social media giant is smartly planning for the future. To maintain long-term viability and relevance, Meta will need to keep new, younger users engaged or ultimately become a has-been of social media. Facebook needs to continually innovate and update or risk losing young adults to more popular and growing platforms like TikTok, Bluesky, or even ByteDance’s Lemon8 video sharing app.