Social media 2025 - 6 reflections

How will we use social media in 2025, and how will it affect us? It is of course very different. For us personally, social media play a relatively important role, and are thus a source of both joy and irritation. Today we share some reflections...

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Some reflections on social media in 2025

Here are some thoughts from recent social media use. Feel free to share your thoughts or experiences in a comment! By the way, our name is @freedomtravelnews on social media and you can find us at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. On LinkedIn we are called FREEDOMtravel.se.

1. Digital fatigue is spreading

Many people we talk to say they are "tired of Instagram" or "tired of Facebook". Others simply find that they get tired of spending too much time in front of the screen - and try to find new habits to put down mobile phone a little more often.

Even we can feel this fatigue sometimes, especially when it comes to social media. The novelty wore off a decade or so ago, and now people have found new ways to engage with social media. I like both Facebook and Instgram and use the platforms every day, but I can also get tired and annoyed by different things...

2. In the clutches of algorithms

One of the things that can be annoying about social media is that it feels like you are "in the clutches of the algorithms". Personally, I find that I don't get to see what I want to see when I scroll through Facebook - just a lot of other stuff.

Sometimes I try to "talk to the algorithms" by ticking off things I don't want to see and hitting the like button on things I want to see more of. But then I find I'm back to square one again, with a bunch of adverts for American celebrities or baby clothes, or something else I'm not interested in...

Similarly, we may feel the same when sharing content. Instead of just thinking about what we want to convey, we also need to think about what the algorithms will think of this.

A few months ago we got into a bad loop when Facebook shut down our posts because "they were against their policy" (unclear which one - there was a post about a city walk and one about Austrian food) - and after that we had to ask friends for advice and then appease the algorithms for a few weeks...

3. What is real in this AI world?

Another thing that has entered the world of social media is AI, or Artificial Intelligence. Suddenly, the feed is flooded with images and films that are reminiscent of the real world, but created in the world of computers.

In the past, I sometimes liked to watch cute animal films (both domestic and wild animals can be so funny sometimes), but now that you don't know if the animals are real or AI products, it suddenly feels a bit more boring ... Was it really a seal that did that funny manoeuvre, or did someone just make it up? No, then I get bored ...

I think AI images can be ok (and use it myself to a limited extent) but I would like it to be labelled so I know what is what.

4. it is important to keep up

As people are getting a bit bored with social media, platforms are constantly having to come up with new things to keep people interested - and it's important to keep up! Just recently, Instagram changed the format of photos shown in the grid - from square to portrait 4:5.

Many people like this, and we will also have to adapt, but initially it was mostly a shock ... For example, we have a pinned picture at the top that introduces us, and there we have chosen a picture where you see the motorhome and both of us. A bit nice, we thought. After the Instagram update, Peter was cut out of the picture and I was beheaded ... You have to keep up!

5. Why bet on something ... that can be shut down?

Social media can be used for entertainment, socialising or information gathering, but also as an important part of a company's marketing. For some influencers, it is even the core of their business, and some spend a lot of time on content production.

We have often thought that it is a bit scary to invest so much in a medium over which you have no control. What if it closes down or if conditions change radically? We don't really know what will happen to TikTok in the future, but what has happened so far gives us food for thought.

6. Social media 2025 - discovery or community?

It seems that the social media that exist lean either more towards discovery (discover new) or community (building continuity and community). Here TikTok is more an example of the first, while Facebook is perhaps more an example of the second. So, what do you want and what do you want to use social media for?

What are your thoughts on social media in 2025?

What are your thoughts on social media in 2025? Please tell us!

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