Anti-social: Social media's fads/ads/vids, not friends, which now dominate our feeds

Food for thought! Besides social media addiction ... Or when algorithms define your life and activities.

Caveat: I am not an expert on social media since I barely use it.

"... There are ads too – although they look just like the other posts – for a robot-vacuum cleaner, a diet and bed linen (with Morris-inspired designs). But no friends. She has 198 on Instagram but she says "it's completely changed. I practically don’t see any friends' posts anymore." She’s pretty much given up posting herself.  ...

In France, annual official Barometre du numerique 2026 shows 49% of social media users are "active only occasionally".

In the UK, an Ofcom report  published in April showed a year-on-year drop of users who actively post from 61% to 49%.

In the US, a Morning Consult survey of June last year found 28% reported posting less often than the previous year. Just 33% now post daily compared to 57% who use it for entertainment daily. The gap is a lot wider still for Gen Z – 18% active for 74% passive. ...

It was TikTok that helped to pioneer an algorithm that figures out from the moment you start scrolling what you like, and then fills your feed with material calculated to keep you on the app for the longest possible time. ..."

Anti-social: It's fads, not friends, which now dominate our feeds "Social media platforms used to be about communication between friends – now many are increasingly short video entertainment hubs. The business model is to increase the time people spend on their apps and increase ad revenue. But is there already a consumer backlash?"