In 2026, social media trends will center around immersive experiences like AR/VR integration, short-form video dominance, and deeper community engagement through niche platforms. Brands will increasingly leverage AI-driven personalization and social commerce to boost interaction and drive conversions.

Digital Marketing Institute contributor Clodagh O’Brien has published an article featuring top social media trends for 2026.

She says, “The world of social media is constantly evolving and fast-paced, but it’s seen huge change in the lead up to 2026. In many ways, the last few years have acted as a tipping point for how platforms are governed, used, and perceived by the public.

The agreement to buy TikTok in the U.S to satisfy the divest or ban law, the generation of explicit images by X’s AI platform Grok, and the ban of social networks for under 16’s in Australia (with other countries looking to follow suit) has put social media in the spotlight.

Together, these developments highlight growing concerns around regulation, safety, trust, and accountability in the social media ecosystem.

Despite these challenges, there are 5.66 billion social media users representing 68% of the global population, a figure that makes up a ‘supermajority’ according to Digital 2026 research. Users are also active spending more than 2.5 hours a day on social and video platforms.”

What are the Top Social Media Trends for 2026?

Digital Marketing Institute