OK, sorry for the click-bait, but I thought it was appropriate. And 42 is the answer to everything, of course.
Many using the service are uncomfortable with the security used for their data. They are frustrated with the seemingly arbitrary choices the algorithms make to decide how their content is shared with friends. They are annoyed by the sometimes ham-fisted censorship, with seemingly innocent comments resulting in Facebook jail.
Uncomfortable, frustrated, annoyed. Not very favourable terms, so it’s not surprising that there is no shortage of these lists, counselling people on the choices out there. They are clickbait posts, with pop-up ads. It’s easy to grab a variety of sites from other lists, add info from some "About" page, maybe pop in a few stats and pros/cons, then send it out to make money for you. Next year, you spend 10 minutes on a few edits, then relabel it as Best for 2023.
But is there one best alternative? I think not. Starting back in 2004, in a mostly wide open field, Zuckerberg has since expanded his simple concept into a monstrosity with almost 3 Billion active users. Facebook is now part of Meta, along with Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Oculus. Its offerings include news, opinion polls, groups, chats with friends, discussions and arguments, live streams, birthdays and events, photos, dating, and a marketplace - all the better to engage you, to track your likes and dislikes, and to sell that information. With your access to all of it manipulated by the algorithms to maximize hits/ads/profits.
Many of us have grown up with Facebook, linking our lives into each new facet as it appears, but are reluctant now to quit it all, cold turkey, and so look for a replacement. However, today’s youth, the target demographic for social media tools, don’t embrace Facebook as we did. In a recent study of internet users aged 13-17, only 32 per cent used Facebook. That’s way down from the 2014 estimate of 71 per cent. Back in our day (LOL) there was not much competition to choose from. It was cool to join, everyone else was hopping on, and we were still unaware of the ways our data would be used and misused. There are many more individual choices now, and young users seem more comfortable with the à la carte approach, picking different solutions for different needs. It would be too hard now for one company to develop everything in one package; there is already a wide menu out there to pick from. Discord, Instagram, Reddit, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Snapchat - so many choices. Many with a video focus, the preferred medium it seems. Of course, sharing your list of platforms is common too, to ensure your friends will find you. Or those pesky data miners.
So - don’t hold your breath waiting for a one size fits all Facebook replacement. Those lists are all suggesting alternatives, as in plural. Myself, I’m on YouTube, Twitch, Discord, Reddit, Gmail, Twitter/TweetDeck, SubStack, and Telegram. all in varying degrees. And, reluctantly, still some Facebook.