Facebook is losing its appeal for teens. Who says? Facebook itself. In a statement included in its annual 10-K report, the social networking giant acknowledged that some younger users are “aware of and actively engaging with other products and services similar to, or as a substitute for, Facebook.” Polls suggest Tumblr now has more currency with youth. One of Facebook’s challenges is that it’s simply too popular—particularly among teens’ parents and grandparents. “It’s almost like they’re the only ones on there,” complains 13-year-old Baret Steed. “All your relatives are constantly commenting on your stuff. I appreciate the gesture and wanting to keep up with my life, but it’s kind of annoying.” It’s not that teens are completely packing up their allegiance with Facebook, but it’s just one of many social networks they use. Many of the most popular have pictorial elements to them. Snapchat, a photo-based social network (wherein pictures vanish shortly after they’re received and seen) is handling more than 60 million photos a day—many shuttling between youth. “There’s a change in the social media landscape,” says O.D. Kobo, CEO for Pheed. “No young people want to open up their timeline and read a novel. It’s not quick enough. The younger demographic today is much more [into] multimedia.” (Time)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and two children. Follow him on Twitter.