8 ways social media has gotten worse in recent years

Social media was once a fun way to stay connected with friends and share updates, but that has changed drastically. While it’s still a big part of many people’s lives, there’s growing frustration with how these platforms have evolved. Here are eight ways social media has gotten worse over time.

1 Less real connection with friends

One of the things that drew people to social media was the ability to stay in touch with friends and family effortlessly. But lately, that connection seems more distant. With the rise of influencers, businesses and viral content dominating our feeds, it’s harder to find genuine moments from the people we care about.

Instead of seeing your friend’s new baby or catching up on life, you’re more likely to receive an endless stream of ads or posts from accounts of brands and influencers you barely interact with. The platform’s algorithms now favor engaging content over authentic communication. As a result, many users feel more disconnected, even though they are technically more “connected” than ever before.

2 Pressure for perfect content

Social media used to be a space where you could post candid moments without much thought. But now there is an unspoken pressure to make everything perfect. Whether it’s the quality of your photos, the captions you write, or even the hashtags you use, you’re increasingly expected to create content that looks polished and polished.

Platforms like Instagram are full of influencers and celebrities who set the standard of unattainable perfection, leaving everyday users feeling the need to compete. This pursuit of perfection takes away the spontaneous and fun nature that social media once had and replaces it with a stressful need to always look your best. Result? People spend more time editing their lives than actually living them.

3 Applications are still too complicated

Remember when social media apps were simple? You could open them, scroll through your friends’ updates, and maybe leave a comment or two. They are now packed with endless features – stories, reels, live streams, shopping cards and more. While some of these features offer creative ways to engage, the constant additions make the platforms overwhelming.

Going through all the options can be frustrating, especially when updates keep changing how things work. The focus shifted from supporting communication to cramming as many features as possible into one application.

Part of how we got here is that when one social media platform launches a feature, others try to adapt the feature to their platforms. It started by copying Stories from Snapchat. Now every platform is trying to be like TikTok (besides what they already are).

4 People who pay get more attention

Another frustrating shift in social media is the growing disparity between those who pay and those who don’t. Many platforms now offer paid features such as promoting posts or promoting accounts, allowing users to essentially buy visibility. This creates an uneven playing field where businesses and influencers with big budgets get their content to the top, while regular users are buried in the feed.

Platforms like X even offer “Increase Response” as a perk for an X Premium subscription. What used to be an organic space for interaction is now more transactional, with the loudest voices being those who can afford to amplify themselves. As a result, the genuine, unpaid content you really want to see often gets lost in the noise of sponsored posts and ads.

5 Too many ads

It’s no secret that ads are everywhere on social media, but in recent years they’ve become almost unavoidable. Browsing your feed now feels like flipping through a catalog, with ads popping up every few posts. Platforms are increasingly turning to advertising as their primary source of revenue, leading to a huge number of sponsored posts, product promotions and targeted ads.

Not only are the ads frequent, they’re also often terrifyingly specific, tailored to your search history and personal information. This constant bombardment of ads makes the user experience less personal and more like you’re being sold something every time you log in.

6 Fake accounts and bots

Fake accounts and bots have become a significant problem across social networks. What used to be an occasional nuisance has turned into a widespread problem as bots now populate comment sections, send spam messages, and even impersonate real users.

These automated accounts often spread misinformation, promote scams, or increase the following of influencers and businesses. The rise of bots has made it harder to trust who or what you interact with online. As more and more fake accounts flood social platforms, the sense of authenticity continues to erode, making it increasingly difficult to find genuine interactions.

7 It’s harder to tell what’s true

The line between fact and fiction on social networks is increasingly blurred. With the rise of misinformation, deepfakes, and AI-generated content on social media, distinguishing between real and fake posts is more challenging than ever.

Platforms have tried to solve this problem with fact-checking features, but the sheer volume of false information makes checking almost impossible.

From fake news to AI-generated images that look disturbingly real, users are left to second guess everything they see. This constant uncertainty has led to a decline in trust not only in content, but in the platforms themselves.

8 Toxicity and trolling

The tone of social media has changed dramatically, toxicity and trolling have become commonplace. While the platforms initially fostered a sense of community, the anonymity that comes with social media encouraged users to engage in hurtful behavior. Cyberbullying, harassment and trolling are commonplace, making online spaces feel hostile and unwelcoming.

This toxic atmosphere discourages authentic interaction and may even turn users off the platforms altogether. Since many people are now hesitant to share their thoughts or feelings, the very nature of social media as a place for connection and conversation is threatened.

While social media is constantly evolving, it’s clear that these changes haven’t always been for the better. Whether it’s the rise of bots, misinformation, or pressure to conform to unrealistic standards, many users are increasingly tired of what these platforms have become.