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From friends to feeds: how social media became a video hub
Aurélia settles into her garden near Paris with coffee and Instagram, expecting relaxation. Instead, her feed delivers interior design clips from Venice, brawling kittens, and ads for robot vacuums-none from the 198 friends she follows. "I practically don't see any friends' posts anymore," she says, echoing a trend that spans generations.
Young users lead the scroll revolution
Kylian, 16 and training as a chef, spends hours on TikTok and YouTube watching strangers' videos. "I like looking at videos more than photos or messages," he says. Posting? "I stay in my bubble." Lucie, also 16, agrees: "Content-creators are more interesting than people I know." Her rare posts are ephemeral "stories" that vanish after 24 hours.
Data shows a widening engagement gap
France's 2026 Baromètre du Numérique reveals 49% of users now post only occasionally. In the UK, Ofcom reports active posting dropped from 61% to 49% year-on-year. U.S. figures from June 2025 show 28% post less often than the previous year, while daily entertainment use sits at 57%. For Gen Z, the divide is starker: 18% active, 74% passive.
"Users realize digital footprints last forever. Some reject superficial relations or fear criticism when posts look weak next to polished content,"
Vanessa Lalo, clinical psychologist specializing in online behavior
Platforms split: entertainment vs. intimacy
Lalo notes young users still post-just differently. TikTok thrives on remixes and parodies, not life updates. Meanwhile, WhatsApp and private Instagram groups offer ad-free intimacy. "Big platforms like Instagram and TikTok focus on discovery and entertainment," says consultant Matt Navarra. "WhatsApp is where people actually socialize."
Algorithms prioritize engagement over connections
TikTok pioneered AI-driven feeds that predict preferences within seconds. Meta now uses similar systems on Facebook and Instagram, surfacing content from strangers if algorithms deem it engaging. "Who you follow has become irrelevant," Navarra explains. Small businesses must adapt, blending storytelling, visuals, and trend-spotting to break through.
Ad revenue soars as usage plateaus
Global social media ad revenue is projected to hit $317 billion in 2026, up from $277 billion last year. Meta leads the charge, with 2025 ad sales rising 22% year-on-year and expected to surpass Google this year. AI-powered targeting ensures ads appear every third or fourth scroll, tailored to interests gleaned from likes, follows, and dwell time.
Yet average daily usage dipped slightly to 141 minutes in 2025, down from 143 in 2024. For Gen Z, however, the figure climbs to five hours daily in the U.S., where social media doubles as search engine and shopping mall. Tools exist to prioritize friends' posts, Navarra notes-but most users don't bother.
The future: passive consumption or backlash?
Social media now resembles adaptive television, learning preferences to hold attention. In exchange for personal data, users receive free, hyper-targeted content. Whether this shift sparks a backlash remains uncertain. For now, the platforms' gamble-trading connections for engagement-continues to pay off.
