"It used to be the place to connect with friends and socialise. Now it's a morass of sponsored content, shouty influencers, AI-generated reels and disinformation - and a growing number of users are switching off It was the year the world came out of the Covid-19 pandemic. In January 2022, restrictions were eased in Ireland and in February, mandatory mask-wearing was lifted."
"In January 2022, restrictions were eased in Ireland and in February, mandatory mask-wearing was lifted. We were not to know it at the time but 2022 was also the year that time spent on social media peaked. The platforms had done well in the pandemic - it was a way to feel connected in a newly disconnected world - and our love affair with the likes of Instagram and Twitter looked set to continue."
Social media shifted from a place to connect with friends and socialise to a morass of sponsored content, shouty influencers, AI-generated reels and disinformation. Time spent on social platforms peaked in 2022 after rapid growth during the Covid-19 pandemic, when platforms helped people feel connected. In January 2022 restrictions were eased in Ireland and in February mandatory mask-wearing was lifted, coinciding with a return to in-person life as online attention began to wane. Increasing commercialisation, attention-seeking creators, automated content and misinformation degraded the user experience, prompting a growing number of users to disengage or switch off.
Read at Independent
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