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You may be seeing more content on social media these days, but how much of it are you actually interacting with? Between new group and friend suggestions, suggested content, and ads, you may see fewer than you like.
Buffer, a social media management platform, recently 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 declined in the past year.
Engagement rates on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads declined last year compared to 2024, while Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok rose slightly. Only X posts saw significantly more engagement compared to last year. Buffer measured engagement in terms of likes, replies, and shares.
Why are some platforms seeing a decline in engagement?
In 2025, there were more posts on social media but less engagement. Posts have doubled, even tripled, across most platforms, according to Buffer. However, half of the social media platforms analyzed saw a decline in user engagement last year compared to 2024. Buffer says algorithm updates, feature launches and user experience redesigns could be some of the reasons. Engagement can also depend on who posts what and when.
But there are other factors worth considering.
Suggested content overload
The content and ads suggested do not always match our interests. It seems that nowadays we are receiving more content that we may not be interested in. You may see more ads and clips from unfamiliar creators, making it more difficult to get a family announcement or your friend’s vacation highlights.
Content generated by artificial intelligence Our schedules are increasingly swamped, reducing human connections. After scrolling for a long time, you can leave the app without engaging with the content you actually want to see.
Read more: Half of US adults who use social media want better labels on AI posts, CNET has found
Algorithm changes
Social media platforms often change their algorithms beyond our control. These changes affect the content you may see.
The European Commission has TikTok has officially shipped Violating EU online content rules due to its addictive design. and Facebook algorithm change Last Year is designed to show you reels you’ll love, even if they’re generated by AI. These changes can lead you to engage less with the content you want.
Different types of content
The type of content you see on each platform may be more or less attractive to you.
For example, Buffer found that carousels get more engagement on LinkedIn than videos and photos, while Reels are more popular on Instagram than carousels. This is not surprising, given the big push Instagram has made towards Reels, including its availability on Fire TV.
How to customize your social media algorithm
We no longer have the same control over our social media feeds that we had with MySpace profiles in the early 2000s. However, you can adjust your settings to see more content that interests you.
Social media platforms, like Instagram, have features to help reduce the noise you see online. For example, you can hide the content you see from people you follow. When you encounter ads, you can select “Not Interested” for Instagram to improve the ads you see. Although this may not change how much you engage, you may see more content you like.