Social Media Is Now Parasocial Media - danah boyd, 2026 Highlight

The “social” in “social media” has slowly become a misnomer. In 2006, most people who logged into the large platforms posted content because they were co-constructing sociable spaces to enjoy the companionship of others. In 2026, posting has waned ( John, 2024); most social media users prioritize scrolling “amateur” content rather than posting their own haphazard updates for friends. The quality of the media on social media has become more strategically constructed, more intentionally curated, and more professional. Users are now lucky to see personal content that their friends are posting amid the slick content created by the advertisers and strategic creators who dominate most people’s feeds. What goes “viral” is now often manufactured in a lab, designed to appeal