Podcast Summary: BBC Lê – Por que muita gente deixou de postar nas redes sociais

Host: Silvia Salek (BBC Brasil)
Guest (interview responses): Kyle Sheikha (journalist, author, read by Thomas Papon)
Date: October 2, 2025
Original Report: Cathy Kay for BBC Work Life, published in July 2025

Overview

This episode delves into the growing phenomenon of people posting less on social media, a reversal after decades of ever-increasing online sharing. Host Silvia Salek presents and discusses insights based on the work and perspective of Kyle Sheikha, journalist and author of "Filter World: How Algorithms Flattened Culture." The discussion examines why users, especially Generation Z adults, are pulling back, the changing nature of online social spaces, and what this shift might mean for the future of digital interaction.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Decline in Personal Posting

• Statistical Backdrop:
  • About a third of social media users are posting less than they did a year ago (00:38).
  • This trend is most pronounced among Generation Z (born 1995–2010).
• Shifting Feeds:
  • Personal updates are being crowded out by influencer promotions and branded content (00:38–03:51).
  • Platforms have become “less social, more like television”—dominated by passive consumption of generic content (03:51, 09:49).

The Algorithm’s Role and the Rise of AI

• Algorithms & Commodification:
  • Algorithms push aspirational, lifestyle content and advertisements over organic social interaction (03:51).
  • There’s a movement toward replacing human-generated content with AI-generated material—endless and cheap, yet “inexpressive” (04:59).
• Quote:
  • "Acho que as redes sociais passaram a ser menos sociais. Elas se tornaram mais questão de consumir esse tipo de conteúdo, que hoje é basicamente commodity." – Kyle Sheikha, 03:51

Where Does the "Social" Go?

• Shift to Private Spaces:
  • Personal interactions are migrating to direct messages and private chat groups (05:50).
  • There’s demand for more intimate digital networks or improved group chat apps (05:50).
• Quote:
  • “Acho que estamos nos movendo para uma forma mais privada, mais íntima de conexão online.” – Kyle Sheikha, 05:50

Evolving Attitudes Towards Privacy

• Generational Assumptions Challenged:
  • Contrary to older generations’ beliefs, many younger users now value privacy after witnessing the downsides of public oversharing—public shaming, viral embarrassment (07:17).
  • The social contract has shifted: unless you’re a professional influencer, oversharing offers little benefit (07:17).
• Quote:
  • “O contrato social das redes mudou… As desvantagens de postar são grandes demais e as vantagens não são suficientes.” – Kyle Sheikha, 07:17

The Implications for Digital Wellbeing

• Effects on Youth & Addiction:
  • The public aspect of digital addiction is lessening, but group chats and memes continue to distract (08:39).
  • Moving away from public sharing slightly reduces the risk of mass embarrassment or unwanted virality (08:39).
• Quote:
  • "Acho que sua natureza pública diminuiu… Mas ainda enviamos mensagens de texto uns aos outros o dia todo. Ainda consumimos memes. Ainda somos distraídos pelos feeds." – Kyle Sheikha, 08:39

The Future of Social Media

• Convergence with Passive Media:
  • Social feeds are becoming "like television," merging professionalized media, passive video consumption, and powerful algorithms (09:49).
  • Prediction: Social interaction increasingly takes place offline or in private chats; social media “peaked” as a form for mass sharing (09:49).
• Quote:
  • "Acho que será mais como a televisão... Nós meio que observamos essa fusão atual de YouTube, TikTok e Netflix em uma única combinação diabólica de áudio, vídeo e algoritmos." – Kyle Sheikha, 09:49

The Age of "Zero Posting"

• End of Public Sharing?:
  • Sheikha believes we are accelerating toward a state where ordinary people barely post at all (10:45).
  • With no meaningful audience or personal benefit, mass posting loses its appeal (10:45).
• Quote:
  • "Por que postar as suas selfies ou seu café da manhã se ninguém presta atenção?... essa ideia de que toda pessoa normal deve compartilhar sua vida em público era meio que falsa desde o princípio." – Kyle Sheikha, 10:45

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On the meaninglessness of algorithm-driven feeds:

  • “Se as plataformas estão perdendo o foco na vida normal das pessoas … As redes sociais passam a ser como a televisão.” – Kyle Sheikha, 03:51

• On the future of online interaction:

  • “As conversas e o aspecto social estarão em mensagens de texto ou talvez poderão se mover mais em direção à vida real.” – Kyle Sheikha, 09:49

• On the public/private digital divide:

  • "Acho que nós meio que aprendemos as desvantagens de publicar nossa vida privada ao longo dos anos 2010." – Kyle Sheikha, 07:17

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:38 – Introduction to the trend: Why people are posting less
• 03:51 – Kyle Sheikha: Social media becoming less social
• 04:42 – The algorithm’s influence and business logic
• 05:50 – Migration to private chats and the need for new online spaces
• 07:17 – Generational shift in attitudes towards privacy/publicity
• 08:39 – Effects on teen gadget use and digital addiction
• 09:49 – Predicting the future of digital socializing
• 10:45 – The approach of the “zero posting” era

Conclusion

This episode paints a compelling picture: social media, once a lively mirror of our real-world connections, is shifting toward a space dominated by passive, commodified content and less meaningful personal interaction. The desire for privacy is leading individuals, especially younger generations, to retreat to more intimate digital spaces. As Kyle Sheikha suggests, the age of "zero posting" may be imminent—not because people are leaving digital life, but because the public stage no longer serves their social needs or offers sufficient rewards. The hope, perhaps, is that meaningful sharing will shift back to the offline world or develop within new, more private digital niches.