Social media is dead. Well, sort of.

The social bit is definitely dead.

Usage of social media platforms peaked in 2022 and has steadily declined ever since, according to a study by the Financial Times.

But more fascinatingly, how it’s being used has transformed.

According to the same study, back in 2014, social media was primarily used for meeting new people, re-connecting with old friends, sharing opinions, following celebrities and killing time.

Now, it’s increasingly only used for following celebrities and killing time.

Of course, this comes at a time when the average social media user seems to actively distrust the platforms they use and, like a cigarette smoker, just wishes they could give it all up.

All the traditional platforms are in decline, and the ones that are growing – like TikTok – aren’t really social media platforms anyway. TikTok is more like a distant relative of QVC; a hyperactive nephew that has a new business idea every five minutes.

And let’s face it, Facebook may still be the biggest social media platform in the world – but its currency and influence has waned. We all know that the utopia it promised was, actually, just a business. A business that did very well for the founder, and not so well for our mental health.

So here we are. The age of social media might be coming to an end.

What does this mean for retailers?

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