<p>A study by Princeton University researchers says Facebook could lose 80% of its users by 2017, but that if that sounds far fetched to you, it's because it is.</p><p>To forecast Facebook's downfall, the researchers applied a model that is used to study the spread of disease to search queries made on Google for the Menlo Park social network.</p><p>The researchers chose that method because they said social networks can be accurately compared to disease as users typically join them when their friends do, and they also leave them when their friends do. This is comparable to being infected with a disease and then recovering from it, according to the study.</p><p>To validate that theory, the researchers first applied the disease model to Myspace, saying the once popular website accurately portrays the full lifespan of the social network. After concluding that the model fit for MySpace, it was applied to Facebook, whose search queries saw a decline in 2013.</p><p><a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-facebook-lose-80-users-2017-not-likely-20140122,0,5369746.story">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://www.zdnet.com/reseachers-say-facebook-membership-will-drop-80-percent-by-2017-seriously-7000025463/">Reseachers say Facebook membership will drop 80 percent by 2017. Seriously?</a> (ZDNet (blog))</p><p><a href="http://theweek.com/article/index/255344/facebook-is-not-doomed-to-die-like-myspace">Facebook is not doomed to die like MySpace</a> (The Week Magazine)</p><p><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/22/facebook-princeton-researchers-infectious-disease">Facebook will lose 80% of users by 2017, say Princeton researchers</a> (The Guardian)</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=dekezH3dbcdzPXMLLYtbMUAGmveMM&authuser=0&ned=us">132 additional articles.</a></p>