This month, I turned a year older, and with it, I got a little wiser to the ways we are (and aren't) showing up online.

In a burgeoning world of AI and automation, the conversation around loneliness, disconnection, and what it means to be human is louder than ever.

If you scroll long enough, it’s easy to buy into the doomsday narrative – that we’ve lost our appetite for real connection, and that meaning is being replaced almost entirely by metrics.

But our behavior continues to tell a different story.

Remember when your entire Facebook wall used to light up on your birthday? Every old neighbor, uni friend, and distant cousin dropping “HBD” like their reputation depended on it.

Time’s have changed. And so have the way those messages flock in. 

The volume’s lower. But the meaning? It runs deeper.

A voice note instead of a comment. A memory shared in a DM. A collage or a story share, but still following the “less is more” rule. Perhaps we’re tired, in a perpetual state of brainrot, or, simply being more thoughtful. Either way, it’s landing us here, taking more intentional action. No longer rewarding the highest word count or the most # of slides. 

So… what does this mean for you, aside from less notifications on your birthday?

**wipes tear**

We’re being more purposeful with our interactions, not because we care less… but because we’re protecting our attention.

Time is too precious, the feed too crowded, to hand out empty engagement. Or, to make a collage for every acquaintance you’ve ever known.

A reaction or interaction, no matter the size or scale, has become a true signal. 

In close circles and across the broader social landscape, one thing’s clear: no one’s making you feel seen if you’re not doing the same.

In 2025, real connection is earned.

Friend-to-friend. Brand-to-consumer. Creator-to-follower.

If people aren’t engaging with your content the way they used to, that’s your sign: they’re saving their energy for something that hits home a little harder.

Something that feels worth the pause… worth the response… worth being apart of. 

Your job isn’t, then, to wallow in self pity or shout louder for attention. It’s to find ways to matter more to your target circle; the people you’re trying to move.

If birthdays are a lesson in today’s engagement economy, Baby J and Tye Turner are serving up the next masterclass — this time, in performance. They’re actively re-shaping how DJs shows up, online and off, in clubs and in culture. 

You've probably seen them on your feed without clocking exactly who these two are. 

That, right there, is the genius.

Fast, tight edits. Electric energy. Infectious reactions from the crowd. In the field of music or not, Baby J and Tye Turner are writing a new kind of rulebook with serious algorithmic impact. 

Their strategy is seamless: invite you into the moment, make it feel exclusive, and leave you wishing you were there. It’s FOMO by design – and with 10M+ views, safe to say, it’s working. 

Check out 1DS Founder Sam Parham’s breakdown, endorsed by Tye Turner himself.

We dropped word back in March that platforms like Instagram were upping their SEO discoverability. And here we are in June seeing more of the same trend: social platforms vying for the role of Google. Here for more than just entertainment, but to help audiences actually find solutions, aids, tools, and ideas. 

Need “bridesmaid dress alternatives”? TikTok. 

Best carry-on for overpackers? Instagram.

Looking for “brand tone of voice examples”? LinkedIn.

That means, we, the creators, marketers, and brands, need to make content that’s actually capable and worthy of being found. 

What’s not going to make the cut? Vague captions. Generic copy. Irrelevant hashtags.

The way of the now – is to treat every post as a searchable asset. 

The algorithm’s always watching. But now your audience is actually searching, too.
If you don’t show up, it’s either because you didn’t answer their question. Or because you hid the value in obscurity. 

Here’s to less of that (non-contextual posting), and more of this 👇

We’ve touched on the larger cultural shifts changing the landscape – but the backend changes matter just as much. Without them, none of the big-picture insights come to fruition. 

Here’s what dropped recently:

➔ Reels now up to 20 minutes.

Long-form is officially back. Instagram’s never-ending attempt at stealing market share from TikTok and YouTube. Support their side – with behind-the-scenes, storytelling, and mini-docs – and they’re likely to support you.

➔ The Explore Page is now featuring stories.

The room for discovery is growing yet again. The “hows” of reaching new users are ever-expanding with the addition of the ‘explore similar stories’ button, taking users to a feed of public stories with a similar vibe or setting. Your ephemeral moments now have even more legs, reaching outside your current follower base. Post accordingly! 
 
➔ Reposting to Feed.

You can now reshare your own story or a re-posted story to your main grid. Just tap the three dots, and look for the option “Share as post.” The feature was initially tested back in 2022, and began selective roll-out in March 2025. Keep in mind that it’s still in testing phases, so not available in all regions or for all users. 

➔ Teleprompter Roll-Out in Edits.

IG’s CapCut competitor now includes script scrolling. Huge for branded content and creators with speaking roles. Remember, a study by Verizon Media and Publicis Media found that 69% of consumers watch videos with the sound off in public places, and 25% do so even in private settings. Moreover, 80% of consumers are more likely to watch an entire video when captions are available.

➔ Confirmed: Place your CTAs sooner.

People scroll faster than you think. New internal data shows that putting a link in the middle of your reel caption performs better than start or end. That doesn’t mean you can’t end with a CTA, but perhaps save your soft conversation starter for a tight finish, and prioritize the harder, more desired action just after you’ve set the stage. 

➔ SEO best practices released for creators.

Here’s the 101: use text overlays on pins, avoid keyword stuffing, and create boards with full phrases like “Summer travel outfit ideas.”

➔ Quick Replies in DMs.

Similar to Instagram’s Saved Replies, brands can now bank pre-written responses, enabling reply to FAQs or product questions with a single tap. Great for automations and scaling engagement.

What’s my audience actually searching for (feeling, solution, or identity signal)?
How can I turn that answer into a moment?
And am I (are we) showing up in the places they’re going to look? 

Build for that.

. . .

McKenzie Collins