Social media is feeling...tired
- Caius Tenche
- 17 hours ago
- 4 min read
Why "Social with substance" is the real opportunity in 2026
Does this resonate? Every swipe leads to more content, but somehow less satisfaction. It's compulsive, yes, and also exhausting.
If social media feels noisier, emptier, and harder to justify than it used to, it's not just you. The feeds are louder. The content is slicker. There’s more of everything – more posts, more videos, more AI-generated stuff. And somehow, it all feels less interesting and easier to ignore.
People aren’t wrong when they say social feels tired. But I don’t think people are tired of connection. I think they’re tired of being fed things that don’t give anything back.
A recent Ogilvy social trends report called this moment “the return to real” and it seems accurate. People aren’t abandoning social platforms. They’re abandoning meaningless content. They’re asking simple questions every time they scroll:
Is this worth my time? Can I trust it?
What's different now
After years of infinite scrolling and being at the mercy of the algorithm, people are taking control back. They're still on social. They just use it differently now.
Notifications are off
Apps get deleted, then reinstalled, then muted again
Group chats matter more than public feeds
Saves and screenshots matter more than likes
There’s a lot less patience for filler and noise.
When someone thumbs through their feed and stops scrolling, it's usually because one of three things happened:
It helped them
It made them feel something
It felt real enough to trust
Everything else just slides by unnoticed.
Below are five shifts we’re seeing and what they mean if you actually want your marketing to work again.
1. Posting more isn't the fix
This is where a lot of brands get stuck. Something isn't working like it used to. Engagement is down. The natural instinct is to post more, post faster, be louder, or chase the latest trending format.
That's not the answer.
People don't open Instagram thinking, "I hope a brand talks to me today." They open it because they're bored, curious, avoiding something, or looking for a spark.
Your content needs a reason to exist. The questions worth asking are:
"Who is this for? What need does it answer? How will it reward their time?"
The content that survives now:
Gets saved, not just seen
Gets shared privately, not blasted publicly
Feels useful, entertaining, or emotionally true
What this means for brands: Design your content like a good show, not a billboard. Fewer posts. Stronger formats. Clear points of view. If your content doesn't align with the viewer's intention, it's dead on arrival.
2. Broadcasting is dead. Belonging wins.
While social feeds and For You pages feel exhausting, smaller spaces are thriving. People are moving toward:
Group chats
Events that feel personal
Niche creators
Communities built around shared interests
People don't want brands yelling at them. They want brands that show up as hosts, contributors, and collaborators. They want brands that are part of their community.
What this means for brands: Stop thinking in terms of audience size first. Instead, start thinking in terms of community fit. Show up in many small communities that you align with. The smartest brands aren’t chasing everyone. They’re showing up consistently for someone.
3. Proof beats polish
In a world where AI can generate perfect visuals in seconds, perfection has lost its power. Instead, people are craving things that are analogue, imperfect, sensed, felt, and intense.
People now trust what feels:
Tactile
Messy
Time-consuming
Human
Behind-the-scenes work. Craft. Process. Real effort. These aren’t nice-to-haves anymore. They’re proof that something (or someone) is real.
What this means for brands: Show the work. Show the people. Show the process. Engage their senses. Engage in real-life activations.
4. The algorithm is finally catching up
As AI-powered search and discovery replace traditional SEO, visibility is no longer about keywords; it’s about credibility.
What's being shared now happens because they're:
Cited by trusted voices
Discussed in communities
Referenced in expert content
Shared privately
In other words, earned media authority is the new SEO.
People don’t trust platforms. They trust curators, editors, and humans with taste. The content that travels is usually useful, sharp, or quietly honest. Something that makes someone say, "Yeah, this is actually good."
What this means for brands: Stop trying to hack algorithms. Start building authority. Understand who the tastemakers and gatekeepers actually are. Build content that can be earned. Think Substack mentions and Reddit echoes. If people talk about you when you’re not in the room, the algorithm will follow.
5. Creators aren't media buys anymore
Shopping is no longer separate from entertainment. Platforms like TikTok Shop and LTK are exploding. Creators aren’t just influencing purchase; they are the storefront, and people are buying from someone they already trust.
The most effective brands are:
Designing content to be shoppable from the start
Supporting creators as partners. Think exclusive drops, data insights.
Thinking long-term, not campaign-by-campaign
This isn’t about slapping links under posts. It’s about building ecosystems where trust, entertainment, and commerce actually align.
What this means for brands: Treat creators like a sales channel, not a line item. If they succeed, you succeed.
The takeaway
I don't think social is broken. I think lazy social is broken.
The brands that will thrive in 2026 are the ones that:
Design for meaning, not metrics
Create fewer things, but better ones
Build trust before asking for attention
Treat every touchpoint as part of an experience
At Gearbox, this is exactly the work we’re focused on — helping brands cut through noise by designing real, connected, human experiences across digital and IRL touchpoints.
Because the goal isn’t to go viral, it's to be remembered. And that still takes thought, craft, and a point of view.
If this resonates, you're not alone, and you don't have to figure it out solo. Let's talk.