This week, Internet Days, organised by the Internet Foundation, took place and provided us communicators with insights and knowledge for the coming year. We participated in several interesting focus sessions and gathered our thoughts on developments in social media and the concentration of power in the digital world.

It is easy to think that the future of social media is mostly about the next smart AI tool or yet another dancing trend on TikTok. But the truth is that something much bigger is happening right now. Two forces are moving in parallel:

• A creative explosion where video, AI and creators are completely changing how we communicate and build relationships.
• A growing concentration of power, where a few companies – and sometimes even states – are gaining an ever-greater hold on our digital infrastructure.

In 2026, we will be standing at the crossroads between these two worlds. And for those of you who work in marketing, communications or digital development, it is no longer just a matter of keeping up with new formats – it is about understanding who owns the data, the algorithms and the rules that shape our daily digital lives.

But let’s start with what’s actually fun and easier for you to influence – trends in social media.

1. Video-first – where it all begins and ends

Short videos reign supreme, period. Our thumbs are moving faster than ever, and we jump between platforms as if it were the most natural thing in the world. At the same time, long-form content — podcasts, live broadcasts and YouTube — is growing as a counter-movement where trust and relationships are built for real.

Why it happens

• People choose short videos over images and text, almost without thinking
• Platforms reward video in their algorithms
• Video is simply the fastest way to explain, engage and entertain.

What this means for you

• Consider ‘snackable first – long-form second’
• Create recurring formats and series that audiences can follow
• Combine breadth (short) with depth (long) so that you are both visible and build trust.

2. AI vs authenticity – two forces you need to balance

2026 is the year when AI will cease to be a cool add-on and instead become an integral part of everything we do: ideas, text, images, video, analysis and planning. It will produce faster, help you think and streamline every step.

But at the same time, something else is happening: people want more authenticity, not less.

What we have seen over the past year clearly confirms this:

• Humour beats perfect production
• “Behind the scenes” feels more reassuring than polished campaigns
• Everyday life wins over the script

The audience doesn’t want to follow brands — they want to follow people.

And they want to talk with you, not to you. That means:

• appear in other people’s comment fields
• be active in groups
• reply in DM
• dare to be human

It is no longer about owning an audience, but about participating in a community.

How to find balance:

• Let AI analyse your content and help you plan
• Use it for brainstorming or variations on existing material.
• Build a clear communication platform that even your AI follows
• Challenge yourself to grow – but never lose your authenticity

In short: Let AI help you create – but humanity is still your superpower.

3. Creators become part of the entire journey

Creators have gone from being ‘nice to have’ to ‘must have’. And no – this isn’t just about big influencers.

2026 is the year when the entire organisation and its customers will truly become part of the content machinery. It is called:

• EGC (Employer Generated Content)
• UGC (User Generated Content)

This makes you faster, more relevant, and more human. The platforms love it. People love it.

How the game is changing:

• Long-term relationships replace one-off purchases
• Creators become part of product development, launch and community
• Micro-profiles and niche voices become more important than broad reach

When you let more voices into the flow, both credibility and engagement grow.

4. Social – your new e-commerce

The line between ‘social’ and ‘commercial’ is now completely blurred.

Users expect to be able to:

• be inspired
• compare
• get recommendations
• and buy
  … without leaving the platform.

Social media is e-commerce.

How to keep up with developments:

• Offer convenient and fast payment options
• Tag products for direct purchase
• Create live broadcasts where viewers can buy directly
• Use UGC, reviews, and recommendations to drive conversion

In short: make it possible to buy at the exact moment the person becomes curious.

5. Well-being and digital balance – a new standard

Although we are spending more time online than ever before, an increasing number of people, particularly younger individuals, report that social media is affecting their mental health. Consequently, a counter-trend is emerging:

• more wellbeing features
• stricter personal boundaries
• longer digital breaks
• increased need for warmth, value and context

The audience does not want to be stressed or manipulated. They want to be treated with consideration.

Set the right tone:

• Leave the FOMO model behind – now!
• Communicate in a valuable and human way
• Focus less on engagement – more on genuine relationships

Commitment is good, but trust is better.

When creativity meets control

As we approach 2026, it’s easy to be inspired by all the new possibilities: video formats, AI tools, the creator economy and social commerce. But at the same time, something bigger is happening in the background.

A small number of global tech companies own an increasingly large share of our digital infrastructure.
From social feeds to data, advertisements, AI models and cloud services – everything is interconnected in a way that affects both the market and democracy.

The EU is trying to slow down this development through the DSA and DMA, but for organisations, this is not just a legal issue. It involves strategic choices:

• How do we build a digital presence when the algorithms are not ours?
• How do we build trust in a system we don’t control?
• How can we be transparent when others are not?

This isn’t just about marketing.
It’s about responsibility.

At a time when both democracies and authoritarian states are using digital technology to influence public opinion, monitor citizens or spread their worldview, the power of platforms becomes more than a technical issue. It shapes our understanding of the world.

The strategy for the future is therefore not just about what you create – but how you choose to create it.

Organisations that want to remain relevant in 2026 need two things: creative power and an ethical compass.

It is this combination that determines whether we build sustainable digital relationships – or simply feed a system we no longer understand.