Facebook has announced it is developing a stand alone camera app with photo and video sharing capabilities many have speculated will be similar to those of Snapchat.

The company has stated this app is in its early stages of development and may never come to the greater public. The fact that Facebook is developing this app betrays an anxiety within the company that people are becoming passive on social media.

This would not be the first time Facebook has tried to get its users more involved. In 2014, the social network released two similar camera apps, Camera and Slingshot; neither gained very much traction. In addition, Facebook Messenger’s release as a separate app, Facebook event reminders, the “on this day” feature the company has slyly slipped into its users’ notifications — all represent attempts to make users post on the site rather than just scroll through updates from page likes on their newsfeeds. Similarly, the company’s introduction of “chatbots” shows an attempt to bridge the gap between individuals and businesses.

Facebook’s attempts to more actively engage its users mark a larger trend within the company that users prefer to scroll through posts from their page likes rather than create their own content. This could be good news marketers because it means people go to Facebook looking for promoted content.

The drawback, however, is that Facebook is running the risk of becoming stagnant. To remain relvant, the company must become more than just a social network.

Sourcing via The Wall Street Journal.