Gartner predicts a 50% decline in social media engagement by 2025, driven by lower perceived quality, misinformation and AI concerns.
A recent study by US-based technology research firm Gartner predicts a significant decline in social media interactions, with approximately 50% of users expected to limit or abandon their engagement by 2025.
This prediction comes from a survey of 263 consumers between July and August 2023, which found that 53% of respondents perceived a decline in the quality of social media platforms compared to the previous year or the previous five years.
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Internet users could use social networks less in the coming years
The reasons given for this degradation are the proliferation of misinformation, toxic user bases and the prevalence of bots. The study also highlighted internet users’ concerns about the impact of generative AI on social media, with seven in ten consumers concerned that increased technology integration will harm the user experience.
Gartner Principal Researcher Emily Weiss spoke to marketers highlighting the need to shift customer acquisition and retention strategies in response to changing social media dynamics. Weiss notably noted that while social media remains a major investment channel for digital marketing, consumers are actively trying to limit its use.
For its part, another study carried out by the consumer research firm GWI, based in the United Kingdom, observed a slight decline in overall time spent on media, both traditional and digital. This decline, although not significant, appears to reflect a change in consumers’ response to changes in information available on social media.
Contrary to the popular belief that Internet users are more connected than ever on these platforms, a certain decline seems to be on the horizon. Factors contributing to this decline include: concerns about social media addiction and a potential correction following increased online activity during the pandemic.
Because of the different confinements, Internet users have been more present than ever on the different platforms to stay in touch with their loved ones, but also to telework. The end of the restrictions therefore seems to have kept Internet users away from social networks, which could be good news for the mental health of the most fragile users.