As Meta pushes back against an antitrust case that could potentially force it to divest Instagram and WhatsApp, newly surfaced internal documents provide fresh insight into how users are engaging with its platforms today.

The data, disclosed during its defense against the Federal Trade Commission, reveals that Facebook has increasingly become a video-centric platform. Over recent years, time spent watching videos on Facebook has significantly increased, while engagement with static posts and Stories has declined. One internal chart highlights Reels—Meta’s short-form video feature—taking the lead. Meanwhile, the traditional News Feed is losing traction, and Stories never reached widespread popularity.

Figure 1. Facebook.

This shift is intentional. Meta has invested heavily in a recommendation algorithm that promotes Reels to users regardless of who they follow. That change alone is driving substantial engagement across both Facebook and Instagram.

Another revealing statistic from the documents: private messaging now far surpasses public sharing. For every public post made, users send around 63 private messages. This underscores a broader trend—Meta’s apps are no longer focused on public broadcasting. Instead, they’ve become entertainment platforms with messaging at their core. Figure 1shows Facebook.

For businesses, this evolution represents more than just a change in content format. While users still interact with video ads, the most meaningful engagement often happens in private chats. That’s where Meta’s Click-to-Message ads come in—these campaigns open direct conversations rather than just promoting offers, and Meta reports growing traction for them.

The trial also shed light on what happens when TikTok falters. When TikTok experienced brief restrictions in the U.S., its traffic didn’t disappear—it shifted to competitors like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube [1]. If TikTok faces a full ban under the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, Meta is well-positioned to absorb much of the displaced audience.

Another internal slide emphasized the increasing similarity among major social platforms. With overlapping features like Stories, Shorts, direct messages, and algorithm-driven feeds, the leading apps are becoming harder to distinguish. Surface-level innovation has slowed as platforms converge around the same engagement strategies.

While Meta’s legal battle with the FTC centers on antitrust issues, the company’s internal data points to a broader transformation: how people use social media is changing, and platforms are racing to adapt.

Reference

1. https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2025/05/reels-drive-facebook-video-time-up-as.html

Cite this article:

Keerthana S (2025), Facebook Users Spend More Time Watching Reels as News Feed Interaction Falls, Says Meta, AnaTechMaz, pp.99.