You may be seeing more content on social media nowadays, but how much of it are you actually engaging with? Between new group and friend suggestions, suggested content and ads, you may be seeing less of what you love.
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 over 191,000 monthly users and found that engagement on some of the most popular social media platforms declined last year.
Engagement rates on Instagram, LinkedIn and Threads declined last year compared with 2024, while Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok increased slightly. Only X posts saw significantly more engagement compared with last year. Buffer measured engagement as 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, even tripled, across most platforms, according to Buffer. Yet, half of the analyzed social media platforms saw a decline in user interaction last year compared with 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 worth considering.
Suggested content overload
Suggested content and ads don't always align with our interests. And it seems like nowadays, we're being fed more content that we may not be interested in. You might see more ads and reels from unfamiliar creators, making it harder to catch a family announcement or your friend's vacation highlights.
AI-generated content increasingly floods our timelines, reducing human connections. After scrolling for so long, you may 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 Finds
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