From December 15th, the daily routine of users will change – the technology giant “Meta” will end the possibility of using a separate “Messenger” application on computers. This means that in order to read or send messages from a computer, you will have to open the online version of Facebook. This decision has already received sharp criticism, and experts call it a strategic step rather than a technological one.
What specifically changes from December 15.
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Until now, Messenger could be used as a standalone app on computers without connecting to Facebook’s news feed. As of Monday, this opportunity disappears. Users who want to post from a computer will be redirected to the web version of Facebook.
The mobile Messenger app on your phone won’t affect this – the change only applies to desktop users.
Why is this decision causing so much outrage?
Danish tech editor Torben Vognsen called Meta’s move “regrettable.” This is not a technical improvement or feature optimization, he said, but a deliberate attempt to get people to use Facebook again.
According to him, Meta clearly sees that some users are moving away from the Facebook news feed, but continue to actively use Messenger as a separate communication tool. Shutting down convenient access to messaging simply pushes people back to a platform they deliberately avoid.
There has been no official explanation from Meta yet, fueling the discontent even more.
Facebook’s problem isn’t technology, it’s human fatigue
Experts point out that this decision coincides with a long-term trend – the declining popularity of Facebook in Western countries. The Swedish example illustrates this particularly clearly.
Since 2021, the number of people who connect to Facebook every day in Sweden has been steadily decreasing. According to the Internet Foundation, about 7 percent of the country’s Internet users used to use the platform, but have now completely abandoned it. The most common reasons are indifference and general fatigue from the social network.
Who else uses Facebook in Sweden?
Although the platform is still widely used, the user structure is clearly changing. Seven out of ten Swedes have used Facebook at least once in the past year, but older users remain the most active.
The majority of active users are women born in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, with around 90 percent of them still regularly connecting to the platform. Meanwhile, the behavior of the younger generation is completely different: people born in the 21st century rarely create records and often avoid active participation altogether.
Just a fifth of all internet users regularly create content on Facebook, indicating that the platform is increasingly becoming a place of passive consumption rather than active communication.
What this means for consumers
In practical terms, the Meta solution means less choice and convenience. Those who deliberately ditched Facebook but stayed with Messenger will now be forced to return to the platform or look for alternatives.
Experts do not rule out that such pressure may have the opposite effect – some users may abandon Messenger altogether and switch to other messaging apps.
For now, one thing is clear: Meta is trying to stem Facebook’s decline not by improving content or experience, but by limiting it. The coming months will show whether it will work.
