10 Charts That Capture How the World Is Changing

Growth was the ultimate goal of the social media era. We pursued more friends, more followers and more likes, on as many platforms as possible. A decade later, we're finding ourselves hyper-connected but emotionally unfulfilled. More hasn't made us happy. Instead, we're sadder, lonelier, and anxiety-ridden.

2020 saw a grand, mostly unnoticed shift in online behaviour: the clickhogs all went catatonic, thick tongues lolling in the muck. On Facebook, the average engagement rate—the number of likes, comments, and shares per follower—fell by 34%, from 0.086 to 0.057….But the same pattern is everywhere. Engagement fell 28% on Instagram and 15% on Twitter. ... See more

...loneliness levels have reached an all-time peak, 13% of Americans are on antidepressants, the U.S. suicide rate is at its highest since World War II, and polarization appears to be rising...