Global Posting Activity Declines Sharply in 2024–2025 as Users Retreat

For the first time since the birth of mainstream social media, the world is posting less. Global daily time spent on platforms fell approximately 10% from its 2022 peak, while self-expressive posting (photos, status updates, life moments) has dropped by more than 25% over the past decade. Younger users are leading the exodus from active participation, with many describing the shift as “posting zero,” “lurking forever,” or simply “being done.”

This report synthesizes the most recent peer-reviewed studies, large-scale surveys, and industry analyses published between 2024 and late 2025 that document and explain the phenomenon.

Key Findings

1. Daily social media time: 2 hours 20 minutes globally (end-2024), down ~10% from 2022 peak (GWI, 2025).
2. Self-expressive posting declined >25% since 2014; “killing time” scrolling is now the dominant behavior (GWI, 2025).
3. U.S. adults aged 18–29 and 65+ are increasingly abstaining entirely from platforms (Törnberg, 2025).
4. Teen posting on legacy platforms (Facebook, X) has collapsed; YouTube remains dominant but largely passive (Pew Research Center, 2024 & 2025).
5. 50% of consumers are predicted to abandon or severely limit interactions by the end of 2025 due to misinformation, bots, and toxicity (Gartner, 2024 update).
6. Organic reach for brands and individuals continues to plummet (Instagram 4%, Facebook 5.9%, X 0.03% in 2025), further disincentivizing posting (Hootsuite/Sprout Social, 2025).

Primary Drivers of the Decline

• Algorithm fatigue and perceived inauthenticity
• Flood of AI-generated content and bots
• Mental-health awareness and deliberate digital minimalism
• Polarization and toxicity driving casual users away
• Shift toward private or ephemeral communication (group chats, BeReal, Notes apps)

Citations (2024–2025 Studies & Reports)

1. Törnberg, P. (2025). Shifts in U.S. Social Media Use, 2020–2024: Decline, Fragmentation, and Enduring Polarization. arXiv:2509.17192. https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.17192
2. Global Web Index (GWI). (2025). Social Media Trends 2025 (data collected Sep–Oct 2025, published in partnership with Financial Times, Oct 2025). https://www.gwi.com/reports/social-2025
3. Pew Research Center. (2025). Americans’ Social Media Use 2025. Published November 2025. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2025/11/americans-social-media-use/
4. Pew Research Center. (2024). Teens, Social Media and Technology 2024. Published December 2024. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/12/teens-social-media-technology/
5. Gartner. (2024). Predicts 2025: Consumer Relationships and Trust (originally published Dec 2023; 2024 consumer update). Cited in multiple industry briefings, 2024–2025.
6. Kemp, S. (DataReportal) & GWI. (2025). Digital 2025: Global Overview Report. Published June 2025. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2025-global-overview-report
7. Vogels, E. A., & Gelles-Watnick, R. (Pew Research Center). (2025). Social Media and News Fact Sheet 2025. November 2025 update.
8. Haidt, J., & Rausch, D. (2024). Re-analysis of Social Media and Mental Health RCTs (preprint update with 2024–2025 longitudinal follow-ups). https://jonathanhaidt.substack.com
9. Hootsuite & Sprout Social. (2025). Social Media Benchmarks & Organic Reach Report Q3 2025.
10. NOEMA Magazine. (2025). “The Last Days of Social Media” (September 2025), aggregating GWI, Sensor Tower, and platform-specific active-user data.

Conclusion

The era of performative, high-volume posting that defined the 2010s has ended. 2025 marks the inflection point where passive consumption decisively overtook active creation. Platforms now face a paradox: the less authentic content ordinary users post, the more the feed fills with advertising, influencer content, and AI slop—accelerating the cycle of disengagement.

For researchers, marketers, and policymakers, “the great unposting” is no longer anecdotal—it is one of the most documented behavioral shifts of the digital age.