AUSTIN, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Facebook, one of the original

social media networks, has become known as the platform of

parents and grandparents, while young adults take up photo and

video apps like Instagram and TikTok.

Meta, the company that owns Facebook, is setting

out to change that.

While Facebook was originally centered on helping users stay

in touch with family and friends, the future lies in helping

people expand their networks and make new connections, which

lines up with how younger generations use the service, said Tom

Alison, head of Facebook at Meta.

"We see young adults turn to Facebook when they make a

transition in life. When they move to a new city, they're using

Marketplace to furnish their apartments. When they become

parents, they're joining parenting groups," Alison said during

an interview in Austin, Texas, ahead of an event on Friday with

content creators.

During the event, Facebook announced two new tabs called

Local and Explore, currently being tested in select cities and

markets and which aggregate content from across the platform.

The Local tab shows users nearby events, community groups and

local items for sale, and the Explore tab recommends content

based on a user's interests.

An increased focus on young adults will be key to bringing

in new users as Facebook faces vast competition for their

attention. Short-form video app TikTok has 150 million users in

the U.S. and is wildly popular among Gen Z, prompting Meta to

introduce its copycat product called Reels in 2021.

Young adults on Facebook spend 60% of their time watching

videos and more than half watch Reels daily. The company said it

would also roll out an updated video tab in coming weeks that

collects short-form, live and longer videos in one place.

Facebook's dating feature, launched in 2019 and which lets

users flip through suggested profiles, has seen a 24%

year-over-year increase in conversations started among young

adults in the U.S. and Canada, the company said.

At the pop-up event in Austin, a small booklet summed up the

platform's positioning for the future: "Not your mom's

(Facebook)," the title read.