People Spent Less Time on Instagram, Weaves, LinkedIn Last Year. Here’s Why
You may be seeing a lot of content on social media today, but how much of it are you actually engaging with? Between new group and friend suggestions, suggested content and ads, you’re likely to see a little of what you like.
Buffer, the social media management platform, has just released a new data study, The State of Social Media Engagement in 2026. Buffer analyzed 52 million posts and more than 191,000 monthly users and found that engagement on some of the most popular social media platforms has declined over the past year.
The level of engagement on Instagram, LinkedIn and Threads decreased last year compared to 2024, while Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok increased slightly. Only X posts saw greater engagement compared to last year. Buffer measures engagement like likes, replies and shares.
Why are certain platforms seeing a dip in engagement?
In 2025, there were more social media posts but less engagement. Posts doubled, and even tripled, across all platforms, according to Buffer. However, half of the social networks analyzed saw a decrease in user engagement last year compared to 2024. Buffer says algorithm updates, feature launches and user experience redesigns could be a few reasons. Engagement can also depend on who posts what and when.
But there are other factors to consider.
Multiple uploads of content
Suggested content and advertisements do not always match our interests. And it seems that today, we are fed more content that we may not care about. You may see a lot of ads and reels from creators you don’t know, making it difficult to catch a family announcement or a friend’s vacation highlights.
AI-generated content is increasingly filling our timelines, reducing human interaction. After scrolling for a long time, you can leave the app without engaging with the content you want to see.
Read more: Half of American Adults Who Use Social Media Want Better Labels for AI Posts, CNET Finds
The algorithm is changing
Social networks often change their algorithms beyond our control. Those changes affect the content you can see.
The European Commission has formally charged TikTok with violating EU online content laws because of its addictive design. And Facebook’s algorithm change last year was designed to show you reels you might like, even if they’re made with AI. Those changes can lead to less engagement with the content you want.
Different content types
The type of content you see on each platform can be very interesting.
For example, Buffer found that carousels get more engagement on LinkedIn compared to videos and photos, while Reels are more popular on Instagram than carousels. And that’s not surprising, considering Instagram’s big push for Reels, including its availability on Fire TV.
How to personalize a social media algorithm
We no longer have the same control over our social media feeds that we did with MySpace profiles in the early 2000s. However, you can adjust your settings to see more of the content that interests you.
Social networks, like Instagram, have features that help reduce the noise you see online. For example, you can hide the content you see from people you follow. And if you come across ads, you can choose “I’m not interested” on Instagram to improve the ads you see. While that may not change how engaged you are, you may see more content that you like.
