Social Media Isn’t Social Anymore, It’s Angry Media, And Brands Should Stay Away.
I am a pioneer of the internet. Literally one of the early ones who discovered new land and how to make a career because of it. I was there with Mitch Joel, Chris Brogan, and others and while I admire these people and hang on their every observation to this day, now I am not sure they will tell you what I am about to say. A long time ago, on what feels like a planet far far away, “social media” was about connection, and it was beautiful. In high school, I met other They Might Be Giants fans online and realized I wasn’t the only person in the world obsessing over accordion-driven nerd rock, and it made me feel less alone. Later, I met people who were doing the kind of work I wanted to do, and they gave me tips and encouragement. It was human, messy, and, yeah, sometimes even weird in a way that felt authentic.
Hell, it was even a place where you could share a consensual naked photo of yourself with someone in an AOL online bulletin board called "RU-CURIOUS?" and have a real conversation about it afterward. That’s probably a post for another day but it shows just how social it was, human beings connecting, experimenting, and talking like actual people.
Now? Scroll any feed and tell me what you see: ads, bots, outrage, and engineered sludge served up by an algorithm that doesn’t care about you, it only cares about what keeps you scrolling. The “social” part of social media has quietly left the building. What’s left is just… media....and sometimes angry media.
The Original Promise (and Why It Died)
When social platforms first exploded, the big sell was interaction. Regular people could comment on a brand post and get an actual reply. Celebrities weren’t just untouchable figures, they were suddenly in your mentions. Communities popped up around niche interests and fandoms.
Brands loved it because they could show up to a highly targeted environment as a “real” thing. Customers loved it because they felt seen. Everyone high-fived and called it a revolution.
But revolutions get messy.
Fast forward to now: organic reach is basically dead. If a brand posts something on Facebook or Instagram without ad dollars behind it, maybe 1–2% of their audience sees it. The dream of organic “community” has been quietly replaced by “pay to play.”
The Weaponization Problem
Here’s where it gets really ugly: social media isn’t just “less social.” It’s been weaponized.
Don’t like a logo redesign from a company you’ve never bought from? Rally the mob and tank their stock.
Upset about an issue in a country you don’t live in? Shame anyone who does business there and start a boycott.
Want to get clout online? Quote-tweet a brand, dunk on them, or share a mistruth, and watch the likes roll in.
Outrage travels faster than nuance, and brands pay the price. What started as the great democratizer of voice has morphed into a popularity contest where tearing things down earns more attention than building them up.
The Brand Cost Is Getting Too High
For brands, staying “active” on social isn’t just a waste of money, it’s becoming a liability.
Risk management nightmare: One poorly worded post, one clumsy meme, one misjudged tone, and suddenly your brand is the main course at the internet’s outrage buffet.
ROI erosion: If you’re paying to boost posts just so your own followers can see them, you’re not doing social, you’re doing advertising. And at that point, why pretend it’s anything else?
Audience apathy: People don’t want to “hang out” with brands anymore. At best, they scroll past. At worst, they weaponize your presence against you.
The equation doesn’t add up anymore. The juice isn’t worth the squeeze.
What Still Works: 1:1 Connections
Here’s the thing, brands still need to connect with customers. That will never change. But the path forward isn’t trying to be everyone’s “friend” in the world’s loudest, most hostile group chat.
The future is direct, personal, and intentional:
Email: It’s not sexy, but it’s still the most effective direct channel. People may ignore your tweet, but if they gave you their inbox, they’re saying, “You’ve got my attention, don’t waste it.”
Events: Physical or virtual, events create the intimacy social media once promised. People remember who they met, what they did, and how they felt, not what they scrolled past.
Experiences: Create something people actually want to be part of, and they’ll talk about it for you. Word-of-mouth is the original social media, and it’s still undefeated.
The future isn’t mass-broadcast pretending to be conversation, it’s smaller, smarter, and more meaningful exchanges that actually matter to the people involved.
The Future: Ads Survive, Engagement Dies
So here’s the bet: within a few years, many brands will stop pretending to be “social” on social media. They’ll still buy ads (because the targeting is too good to ignore), but the daily “witty banter” posts and comment-section dances? Extinct...unless you are The Wendy's Company cause everyone loves Wendy on Social. That girl has Saas with a capital S and dont care who steps to her.
Instead, brands will lean into owned channels, email, podcasts, private communities, experiential events, places where they control the experience and the risk. Social platforms will just become what they really are: ad networks in disguise.
The Big Reset (or the Big Retreat)
Unless something dramatic changes, the illusion of “social” media is done. The next frontier for brands is deciding whether to keep playing this expensive, high-risk game, or hit reset and focus on building connections where the rules are actually in their favor.
Ironically, your local coffee shop might have a thriving Discord before it has a Facebook page. And honestly? That might be a good thing.
Because let’s be real: if there’s nothing social about social media anymore, why should brands keep pretending there is?
If you read this and thought, “Damn, I need to rethink how I’m showing up,” good news, I can help. Hire me, or grab a copy of my book The Only Creative Process That Matters. Both will make you a better marketer, a bolder thinker, and maybe even someone who doesn’t waste money chasing likes that don’t matter.