Social media publishing causes discomfort among users

Publishing on social media has become uncomfortable for many users, especially among the younger generation. In 2026, social media feeds are primarily occupied by influencers and brands, with the millennial generation often mocking the content posted by older users.

Content styles mark generational divides

The inspirational quotes with sunset backgrounds and good morning wishes shared on Facebook have become emblematic of the baby boomer generation. However, users may have overlooked that they themselves have aged and may now be viewed as outdated by the Gen Z generation, who mock aspects such as "Los Angeles" filters, brunch photos, and hashtags on Instagram posts.

Social media platforms shift focus

Across platforms, publishing has become uncomfortable, with Twitter in a state of decline, Facebook users abandoning posts from 2013, and Instagram users favoring Stories that erase content after 24 hours. Social media was initially designed to connect people, but the platforms now seem to have evolved into content consumption platforms.

Meta faces scrutiny over market dominance

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, faced scrutiny in April 2025 when the FTC accused the company of creating a monopoly on personal social media through the acquisitions of Instagram (2012) and WhatsApp (2014). In its defense, Meta argued that the purpose of social networks in maintaining close friendships had diminished.

User behavior changes on social media

According to Meta's figures, the time spent watching content from friends decreased from 22% to 17% on Facebook and from 11% to 7% on Instagram over two years. The rest of the time, users mainly consumed content recommended by the platforms. Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged that the "friendly aspect" had "somewhat faded."

Decrease in content publishing across Europe

In France, according to the We Are Social and Meltwater Digital Report 2026, only 11.7% of social media users publish content, compared to 13.7% the previous year. The number of users increased by more than 2% during the same period, reaching 51.5 million people.

Shift from friends to followers on social platforms

In the United Kingdom, Ofcom noted that 49% of adults on social media post, share, or comment on content, compared to 61% two years earlier. The platforms are following the TikTok model, with Meta considering strategies to shift from a friend-based model to a follower-based model.

Meta's strategy to retain users

In 2022, Mark Zuckerberg proposed removing all friends from users to start over, but the company ultimately adopted the alternative of transforming the feed into a "discovery engine," which recommends content from accounts the user does not follow. The Home tab now mixes Reels, Stories, and recommendations, while posts from friends and followed pages are relegated to a secondary tab.

User retention through algorithmic design

According to Samir Bousaid, Head of Social Intelligence at We Are Social, this evolution allows the platforms to benefit from better user retention with less effort required from users. Social media is no longer centered on oneself and one's relationships, but on content and interests.

Algorithms shape user engagement

Algorithms are designed to reduce the effort needed to stay and consume content. When users open Snapchat, they land on the camera, ready to publish to close friends, while Instagram opens to Reels and Stories that are most likely to keep users engaged. Although the "publish" button remains on the platforms, users seem to have changed their views on publishing.

Social discomfort among young users

Claire Balleys, a sociologist specializing in the digital uses of young people at the University of Geneva, studied this phenomenon through a field study of Swiss teenagers. In an op-ed published by AOC, she explains that self-presentation, both online and offline, follows strict social conventions among adolescents, and any deviation is perceived as "uncomfortable."

Tightrope walk of authenticity

Balleys notes that the quest for visibility and recognition, when too ostentatious, becomes uncomfortable for several reasons, including the way adults and parents post private images and content on Facebook and Instagram. This behavior casts suspicion on authenticity and modesty and is seen as a sign of a lack of knowledge of current social codes on social media.

Balancing visibility and cringe

A 2024 study by Stripe Partners and Meta found that young people feel like they are walking a tightrope between what will be judged "authentic" and what will be judged "cringe." For some, the solution is to publish nothing at all. Additionally, the banalization of influence has established standards that most regular users are unable to follow.

Shift in content creation and sharing

The conversational dimension becomes private or ephemeral, and content creation becomes more professional and editorialized, leaving less room for spontaneity and poorly framed content. Claire Balleys notes that while there is no decline in publishing, there is a fine-tuning of audiences.

Preference for private sharing

Public posts are rare and carefully crafted, while sharing with close friends is more frequent and spontaneous. This finding is confirmed by the Digital Report, which states that staying in touch with close friends remains the main reason for using social media, cited by 55.9% of users.

Social links become more private

Samir Bousaid explains that the social link does not disappear; it becomes more private and selective. For brands, this shift has implications on the metrics to follow, with viewing time, recordings, and shares now counting more than likes and community growth.

Private sharing maintains peer relationships

Claire Balleys writes in AOC that capturing images of birthday parties or end-of-year events and sharing them in private Snapchat stories with friends helps maintain peer relationships. The challenge lies in knowing who to include in these private stories.

Shift to "dark social" interactions

The Stripe Partners and Meta study noted this shift toward "dark social." For most of their daily interactions, young people favor platforms or features that promote ephemerality and mimic the nature of offline conversations.

Preference for messaging over content-focused apps

Snapchat, with its disappearing photos and discussion groups, has become the main place of online social interaction for many of them. The study also found that applications like WhatsApp, Snapchat, and Discord, which are centered on messaging with friends and family, are essential, while content-focused applications like TikTok and Instagram are more optional.

Refocusing on private interactions

This refocusing on social interactions within more restricted circles accompanies the phenomenon of empty profiles on social media across many applications. Confined to private messaging, users may avoid the mockery of future generations.