Remember the good ol' days of "poking" friends on Facebook? Well, get ready for a blast from the past! This seemingly forgotten feature is experiencing a resurgence, particularly among younger users.
Poking, one of the earliest forms of interaction on Facebook launched in 2004, predating likes and reactions. Back in the early 2010s, it was a simple way to say "hi" or initiate playful "poke wars" with friends. However, over time, it faded into obscurity.
Fast forward to today, and Facebook has seen a whopping 13-fold increase in poking activity over the past month! Interestingly, more than half of these pokes come from users aged 18-29. While Meta (Facebook's parent company) isn't revealing specific usage numbers, they did acknowledge their surprise at the rapid growth. It seems the recent quiet update making "poking" easier to find – through search suggestions and friend profile buttons – has sparked a wave of nostalgia.
For longtime users like 26-year-old Brooklin Dugey, poking brings back a sense of lighthearted fun. Though she now reserves it for close friends and family, she enjoys the "silly, cute" way it reconnects people. "It's such a simple thing, but being called a 'poke' tickles me," she admits.
This resurgence might leave some scratching their heads. How could Gen Z, known for their digital-native ways, be so interested in an "ancient" feature? Many older members of Generation Z were active Facebook users during the era when poking was first popular, particularly during their adolescent years. This familiarity with the feature among older Gen Z users explains their engagement and participation in the recent resurgence of poking on the platform. Despite its age, poking holds nostalgic value for these users, reminding them of simpler times on social media and prompting them to revisit and enjoy this classic Facebook interaction once again.
27-year-old Karan Thakkar fondly recalls epic "poke wars" with friends, a playful competition to see who could land the last poke. For him, poking was a low-effort way to acknowledge someone without needing a full conversation. He even suspects that younger Gen Z users might be discovering poking for the first time and finding it a fun novelty.
Could this be Facebook's attempt to stay relevant with a younger demographic? While their intentions might be transparent, it seems the platform may have stumbled upon an unexpected success story with the return of the poke. So, the next time you browse Facebook, keep an eye out for a potential "poke" notification – it might just be a nostalgic friend reaching out to say hello!