In emails uncovered earlier this year, Mark Zuckerberg said he felt Facebook’s "cultural relevance is decreasing quickly." His claim might be true about social media as a whole.
Driving the news: According to a Financial Times-commissioned study of over 250,000 people aged 16 and older across more than 50 countries, time spent on social media peaked in 2022 and has been steadily declining ever since.
- The drop-off was consistent among all age groups, but was most significant among teens and 20-somethings (who get a gold star for boldly defying stereotypes).
Why it’s happening: The main reasons many joined social platforms in the first place were to keep up with friends and share their opinions. In recent years, the main reasons are to follow celebs and kill time. In fact, an endless deluge of algorithmically selected content from brands and influencers has made seeing vacation pics or life updates from friends rare.
- Current conditions could result in a scenario that writer Kyle Chayka has dubbed “posting zero,” in which regular folks stop posting about their lives online altogether.
Yes, but: This isn’t necessarily a first sign of social media’s demise — we’re all still addicted to our phones, after all — and usage has continued to rise in North America. There are also pockets of social media where usage has jumped across the board, in particular, messaging.
Why it matters: Get ready for a fundamental reconception of social media. What will this entail? Well, it could mean a rush of new social apps that appeal to hyper-niche focuses. But one trend seems certain for the new era: apps, new and old, will be filled with AI video.—QH