09.01.2026 Opinion

Do digital platforms shape our expectations or reflect our desires?

At the beginning of 2026, nearly 5.66 billion people use at least one social network every month, representing approximately 70% of the world’s population. On average, users interact with nearly seven different platforms each month, spending more than 2.5 hours per day on them.

At a time when digital spaces have become cultural and relational infrastructures, where collective behaviours, values and imaginations are constructed, a central question arises: do these environments respond to pre-existing desires, or do they themselves shape users’ expectations?

Platforms structure usage and create implicit standards…

Algorithms organise exposure to content and transform attention into implicit standards of relevance and credibility. Taking LinkedIn as an example, analytical carousels and long articles generate more interactions and are therefore recommended more often, making them implicit benchmarks for what is considered relevant and serious. On TikTok, the promotion of three- to five-minute videos, favoured by tracking complete viewing cycles, reinforces the perception of what holds attention. On Instagram, Reels that get quick interactions then appear in the Explore tab, exposing new audiences to these formats.

Here, the algorithm acts as a normalising force: without dictating personal preferences, it amplifies content that is already getting attention and turns that visibility into a collective standard. Users thus learn to measure the value of content not only by its intrinsic quality, but by the social and algorithmic signal it receives. The origin of influence is algorithmic: what is pushed becomes the benchmark.

… but they also reflect users’ desires

Conversely, certain dynamics reflect the needs and aspirations already present among users. Platforms detect these signals and adjust their features to respond to them. The growth in mentions of digital detox (+10% in the first half of 2025) reveals a clear desire to better manage time and reduce information overload. The rise in the demand for authenticity in influence (+66% of conversations on Instagram and TikTok) reflects an expectation of transparency and proximity.

Platforms translate these signals into observable standards: screen time limitation tools, labelling of sponsored content, spaces for long formats, etc. The logic is clear: the demand exists, the platform identifies it and highlights it for everyone. In this case, influence is bottom-up, starting with users and moving towards the norm.

A circular dynamic: co-construction between uses and architectures

Uses and features evolve in a reciprocal loop. Users adopt, repurpose and reinterpret features, while platforms observe, measure and adjust their logic to maximise engagement and relevance. This dynamic is evident in the rise of long-form, analytical content, the valorisation of personal narratives and small but engaged communities, and the growing demand for transparency around practices, intentions and values. Platforms reflect and amplify these movements, transforming individual signals into collective norms and general expectations.

For businesses, this dynamic requires a careful reading of behaviours and expressed desires. Platforms expose expectations and frustrations in real time. Negative experiences spread quickly: in 2025, mentions of ‘do not buy’ exceeded 836,000 posts, while the demand for authenticity and sincere content skyrocketed.

Standing out in these spaces means creating experiences that respect the specific uses of each platform while responding to users’ desires. The key lies in navigating precisely and intelligently between the expectations shaped by the platforms and the desires expressed by users.

By Leila Bouchtaoui

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