They say it has reached its end, that it’s dying, or at least gathering cobwebs — implying it concerns only older generations. It’s true that Gen Z is entertained mainly through TikTok, yet Facebook is far more than just another social media platform.

It is an entire digital ecosystem. Its features cover every aspect of our lives. It is our digital café, our alternative newspaper, a place for news, relaxation, entertainment, and electronic communication with the outside world — with every corner of the planet, at any moment. And because communication is in our DNA, it won us over from the very beginning.

The age of innocence

Back in distant 2008, Greeks first came into contact with Facebook and its functions. At the time, users didn’t automatically upload their photo to their profile. Some preferred what we now call an avatar, as they were not yet familiar with public exposure.

Anyone creating an account searched for others they knew, and so began the first digital school reunions. The bolder users started posting, and their friends followed them in their feed with admiration. Then they would go to someone’s “wall” to write something, or send a “poke” — a nudge to spark interaction.

Another magic word from Facebook’s age of innocence is “Farmville.” Everyone was obsessed with growing digital lettuce on a small green patch on their computer screen.

They watered feverishly (sometimes with an alarm clock) to avoid waking up to wilted lettuce. All of this, of course, during their free time, because Facebook was banned in workplaces and on office computers — it was believed to harm productivity. It was certainly irresistible for users then, as it is now.

What we discuss, what we share

For about two decades, Greeks have been building their digital identities on Facebook. “Our profiles there become extensions of ourselves,” notes writer, communication expert, and EKPA PhD, Eleni-Revekka Staiou. And through these profiles, users interact in many ways. Facebook becomes a digital café — a space Greeks love deeply. Gradually, the platform evolves into an entire microcosm.

Groups, business pages, the marketplace, even the “Memories” tab that takes us back to past moments, are everyday tools. Inside this ecosystem, communication coexists with discussion, critique, and confrontation — often flirting with the boundaries of hate speech. Despite the global shift — especially among young people — toward platforms like TikTok and Instagram, Facebook remains extremely popular in Greece.

According to marketing consultant Kamil Kamienietski, the mind behind the viral brand “Marketing Parakalo,” there are two reasons: “First, Facebook has secured a large share of the market, as it has been around longer. Second, it is the only platform offering so many different types of content. All of this gives us a wide range of digital rooms and entertainment options that other platforms do not offer to the same extent.”

News vs fake news

Facebook’s use as a news tool is undeniable. According to the Digital News Report 2025 by the Reuters Institute, 44% of internet users in Greece rely on it as their main news source — a percentage that increases every year.

Facebook has essentially transformed from a social networking site into a news consumption and sharing platform. Many users rely on friends’ posts, news pages, and comment exchanges, which make up their everyday information flow.

However, the same mechanism that enables instant news sharing also enables misinformation. False news, conspiracy theories and inaccurate posts find fertile ground in the Greek community, while Facebook attempts to strengthen fact-checking tools and limit the spread of fake news.

“It’s not wrong to get information from social media,” explains Professor Staiou, “as long as we also take the time to verify it.” “Misinformation certainly exists, but we should not forget how much good this platform has done in terms of public awareness, social solidarity, and promoting healthy role models.”

Groups — the Greek “neighborhoods” on Facebook

One of the most distinctive aspects of Greek Facebook culture is groups — the well-known Facebook Groups. These communities function like modern “neighborhoods”: small social cells built around interests, needs, or geographic ties.

There are groups for parents seeking advice about their children, for students sharing material, for residents exchanging local news. And of course, the uniquely Greek groups: mushroom collectors, cat enthusiasts, geography lovers, humor fans, those who want to know where the police have set up breathalyzer checkpoints, people overcoming heartbreak, or those nostalgic for the ’80s and ’90s.

Marketplace — the neighbor’s digital marketplace

The Marketplace is the digital bazaar where everyday needs, opportunities and a special kind of entrepreneurship meet. Since its official launch in Greece in 2016, it has become one of the most vibrant corners of the platform: a place where you can find everything from furniture and appliances to second-hand cars, handmade goods, baby items, and small pieces of history.

Buyers see suggestions from their area, sellers find interested people easily without middlemen, and communication happens instantly through Messenger. Many small vendors, artisans or professionals use it to showcase their work without cost, building an organic audience. For some, it is the first step before creating an e-shop or an official business page.

“Memories” — the album of life

If one feature is deeply tied to the Greek Facebook experience, it is “Memories” — that daily reminder that brings back photos, check-ins, old statuses, and moments from past years.

For many Greeks, this feature isn’t just nostalgic; it is a digital album full of emotions, smiles, losses, celebrations, and everyday stories that would otherwise have been forgotten.

“Memories” record how we changed, who we grew up with, which cities we lived in, which people came and went. In a society that loves photography, storytelling, and sharing, it’s no surprise that we often reshare old material — as a small act of self-reflection, and as a way of reconnecting with our past.

7.3 million Greeks are “on” Facebook

A snapshot of Facebook through statistics: 44% use it for news, most users are 25–35 years old

Despite the impressive rise of other platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, Facebook remains the most consistently popular social media platform in Greece.

The latest data for 2025 shows that approximately 7.3 million Greeks use the platform, a number that corresponds to about 74% of the total population. This penetration has remained almost unchanged in recent years, highlighting the special relationship Greek users have with this social network. The statistical data surrounding Facebook usage is equally interesting:

• Facebook is the main choice for reading news online, with 44% of internet users preferring it, according to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report.
• Facebook has been the dominant social media platform every year since its introduction in Greece, according to Focus Bari, while one-third of users between 2010 and 2015 used it to play games.
• Messenger—the platform’s messaging tool—has 5.4 million active users today, compared to around 4.3 million in 2020.

User distribution by age

• The average Greek user is 25 to 35 years old.
• In April 2025, according to the analytics company NapoleonCat, 1,641,800 users were between 35 and 45 years old.
• Users aged 18–24 also represent a significant share—14.1% in September 2025.

User distribution by gender

• In 2025, usage appears evenly split: 50% men and 50% women.
• Women, however, show a slightly stronger preference for Instagram and TikTok than men.

From posts and comments to video dominance

How TikTok and younger audiences are transforming the platform

Despite its long-standing dominance, Facebook now operates in an environment where competition has never been more intense. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok and YouTube have transformed content consumption habits, shifting attention—especially among younger users—toward faster, more visual, more “immediate” content.

Within this new digital landscape, Facebook must redefine its role without losing its core audience: adults and older generations, who continue to trust it as a stable point of reference for daily communication and information.

A return to community

At the same time, the platform is undergoing constant transformation. It is investing more heavily in video, promoting Facebook Reels as a rival to TikTok, and trying to modernize the user experience, “because it has understood that it is losing a large portion of the younger audience,” notes Kamil Kamienietski.

Additionally, since September 2025 the platform introduced Facebook content monetization, a program that allows creators to earn money through performance-based payouts for various content formats—Reels, long-form videos, photos, and text posts—similar to what YouTube offered until recently.

Moreover, there is an ongoing shift from social networking to digital living. Meta no longer aims merely to connect people, but to organize our entire digital daily life. Facebook is no longer just the place where we post photos, but the hub of our digital identity: groups, marketplace, communities, memories, events. The feed is no longer purely social — it is becoming a personal interest stream.

The platform’s new trend: video first

Not only because TikTok is skyrocketing (and cannot be acquired, unlike platforms Meta bought in the past like Instagram), but because at this moment people consume short video content more than anything else. This trend strengthens Mark Zuckerberg’s strategic direction: the reinforcement of community.

Top 10 Greek Facebook Groups

Groups about relationships, information, humor, and trash content.

These groups have now become major points of reference: places where Greek users get informed, comment, argue, find solutions, or simply relax, creating a digital environment with its own rules, pace, and emotional dynamics.

1/ “Thank You, Next” / 683,000 followers

One of the largest and most active Greek groups. It started as a space for confessions and discussions about relationships and dating, and evolved into a viral community with daily activity.

2/ “Memories from the 1980s–1990s flash back” / 541,000 followers

Its theme focuses on nostalgia, music, jokes, and memes from the 80s and 90s, attracting a wide audience eager to remember and humorously comment on childhood and teenage years.

3/ “Geography is very cool” / 466,000 followers

This group is dedicated to fun facts and content focused on the geography of the planet Earth. Many refer to it as the new “Greek internet phenomenon,” loved so much by users that it even led its creators to open their first physical store at the Kypseli Municipal Market.

4/ “Infidelity Is Not Cool, It’s Self-Humiliation!” / 464,000 followers

This community centers on relationship topics, offering stories, experiences, and discussions about daily life and human relationships, often leaning toward the dramatic side of things.

5/ “Beautiful World” / 417,000 followers

The community shares stories, reposts news articles, memes, and comments on everyday topics.

6/ “Laughter Came From Paradise…” / 187,600 followers

A group focused on humorous posts, memes, and funny everyday stories, offering a space where members can laugh and interact with humor and creativity.

7/ “Department of Personal Drama” / 167,000 followers

People of all ages share their personal drama—relationships, work, home, daily struggles—always with a clearly satirical twist.

8/ “Snobby Nouveau Riche of the Tennis Club” / 146,600 followers

A Greek Facebook group focusing on humorous posts, satire, and memes about social situations, lifestyle, and, of course, Greece’s nouveau riche of the local tennis club.

9/ “Tsili Café 2025” / 137,000 followers

This group mixes funny stories and everyday incidents, functioning like a digital café where members comment and laugh about daily life. It does contain significant amounts of sexist and trash content.

10/ “Satanism and Cats” / 113,200 followers

Users share their love for cats — not satanism. Funny videos of their pets, adoption posts, and adorable photos.

Photos: Getty Images / Ideal Image