Press Story

Less than one in five posts come from people users actually know, while over a third are from people they don’t know
Reform voters are least likely to see content from friends, as think tank warns algorithms fuel isolation and division
IPPR calls for new public service social media platform to put people before profit

Social media platforms are prioritising influencers, adverts and brands over posts from friends and family – contributing to a more divisive and less social online experience, according to a new report from IPPR.

New analysis of Instagram, Facebook, X, Bluesky and TikTok finds that among the top four posts in users’ feeds, just 18 per cent come from someone they actually know. In contrast, 35 per cent are from influencers, public figures or recommended content, and 29 per cent are from adverts and brands.

Just one in 10 posts seen by users on TikTok and X were from friends and family, but one in seven posts were adverts.

Those who voted Reform UK in the 2024 general election are the least likely to see content from someone they personally know, and the most likely to see content from brands and news organisations. Only 13 per cent of Reform UK voters see content from someone they know, compared to 23 per cent of Green party voters.

The decline of ‘social’ social media content reflects a fundamental change in how platforms work. Channels are no longer primarily connecting people to each other – instead, they are optimised to keep users scrolling.

The report describes this as “sticky” design: content is prioritised not because it is social, but because it holds attention. Influencers and celebrities are more likely to be promoted because users spend longer watching them, feel a sense of intimacy with them, and are more likely to spend money engaging with their content.

But this comes at a cost. Users are not only seeing fewer people they know – they are also less likely to see what anyone else is seeing, due to the highly personalised nature of the algorithm. This is fragmenting society, making it harder to build common beliefs and politics, the report says.

It warns that these trends are reshaping public life. As more people spend time online, work remotely, and lose access to physical community spaces, social media play an increasingly important role in how people relate to one another. Yet platforms that claim to connect us are, in practice, making us less visible to each other.

The authors argue that this is not accidental. Social media companies have a clear commercial incentive to maximise time spent on their platforms, and “stickier” content is more profitable – even if it is less social.

To address this, IPPR calls for a new approach that both regulates existing platforms and creates alternatives designed around public value rather than profit. The report recommends:

Developing a new public service social media platform, led by the BBC and European public service broadcasters, to provide an alternative to for-profit platforms
Amending the Online Safety Act to tackle manipulative algorithmic design and give regulators stronger powers over platform architecture
Requiring platforms to promote public interest content, including from charities, community groups and public bodies

Dr Sofia Ropek-Hewson, senior research fellow at IPPR, said:

“Social media was once about connecting with friends and building communities. Now, it’s increasingly about watching strangers and being sold to.

“These platforms are not just reflecting society – they are shaping it. By prioritising content that keeps us hooked, they are making us less visible to each other and more isolated.

“If we want a healthier, more democratic online world, we need to take back control from algorithms designed purely for profit.”

ENDS

Dr Sofia Ropek-Hewson is available for interview

CONTACT

Rosie Okumbe, digital and media officer: 07825 185421 r.okumbe@ippr.org

David Wastell, director of news and communications: 07921 403651 d.wastell@ippr.org

NOTES TO EDITORS

Advance copies of the report are available under embargo on request

IPPR commissioned Survation to ask 1000 UK participants to categorise the top four posts of their most used social media feed (excluding YouTube and private messaging platforms which are not publicly social, and including Instagram, Facebook, X, Bluesky and TikTok). Groundwork was completed in February 2026.

IPPR (the Institute for Public Policy Research) is the UK’s most influential think tank, with alumni in Downing Street, the cabinet and parliament. We are the practical ideas factory behind many of the current government’s flagship policies, including changes to fiscal rules, the creation of a National Wealth Fund, GB Energy, devolution, and reforms to the NHS. As an independent charity working towards a fairer, greener, and more prosperous society, we have spent almost 40 years creating tangible progressive change - turning bold ideas into common sense realities. www.ippr.org