Our digital devices have become a shadow we can’t escape. We’ve come a long way from the naïve admiration for the ‘move fast and break things’ mantra of Silicon Valley. When the promise of tech doesn’t match the sci-fi freedom we imagined, we romanticise life without it. 

As part of a qualitative study for our latest research report – ‘The future we want’, participants were introduced to ‘device-free spaces' – a speculative scenario much like an offline café. A space where phones are checked at the door, digital devices are nowhere in sight, and conversation happens without distraction or recording. 

For some, it sparked a kind of nostalgia for a past they have never experienced.  

“It made me feel a bit mysterious as well, it's out of the ordinary to have a place where nobody uses their phones...I want to go there, it sounds like a cool place and I will not have the pressure of social media on my back..." 

– High School Student 

Others spoke to the emotional weight of being ‘always on’.

“I love that the people (at the café) will be seen doing art, writing and other artistic ways of expressing themselves, without picking up a phone.” 

– Parent 

The sentiment of the scenario had broad appeal. However, in Australia, it was most popular among 18-34-year-olds: 65% thought it would be all positive or mostly positive, compared with 59% of 35-54-year-olds and 53% of those 55 and over. 

The tech tide is turning 

Public scepticism toward tech giants is growing – social media’s impact on young people’s mental health is well documented, yet it remains a lifeline for connection. Our devices now hold the sum of our lives, and social platforms have become critical infrastructure for everyday interaction. For years, marketers have mined that data to track trends and behaviour – but shifting privacy laws and social commerce are rewriting how we will experience those platforms.  

We’re at the edge of an experiment the world – and every marketer – will be watching. The Australian government is introducing mandatory age verification for social media users under 16, coming into effect on December 10, 2025. The policy has divided opinion and signals a broader reckoning to slow the bullet train of technology. Support for the ban is strong but not unanimous: around 70% of adults back it, while support drops to just over half among young people.

China has been limiting screen time among minors since 2019 as part of its ‘Healthy China 2030’ plan and now enforces a mandatory ‘minor mode’ across app developers, app stores, and device makers.

There are growing concerns about surveillance and data privacy, with that rollout. However, a big question is – do these restrictions at government level work? In China, “of the 29% of gamers who do not comply with the 3-hour rule, 82% use an adult account (family or friend) to bypass the control measures.” For marketers, that workaround is the signal to watch. 

We’re constantly being sold to – no more free lunches 

Social platforms once gave us spontaneous glimpses into real life. Now they’re curated feeds, algorithmic mirrors, and ad machines. Content slop has now seen Meta launched a paid, ad-free option – the landscape feels less social and more transactional.

TikTok Shop’s upcoming launch in Australia is already changing the tone overseas. Social media has evolved into social commerce – 74% of Gen Zs and Millennial consumers now shop through these channels. If social media is a sell, where do we actually socialise?

Too much content, not enough connection

The Oxford Dictionary 2024 word of the year was ‘Brain Rot’. Looking back, just over a year after ChatGPT’s launch, it was fitting that a term associated with mindless consumption would be given such recognition. From AI Artists on Spotify flooding the site, to Meta relaxing its moderation and removing fact checking prompts, the platforms feel compromised. AI is out-producing human content and creating a feed designed for reaction over connection - who can wade through the slop?  

This is bad news for brands, we have explored the impact on the ‘perceived’ safety of purchase decisions. The more we feel like we must filter ourselves (or what we see), the more anxiety we have, the harder it is to make decisions.  When we buy, 40% is driven by passion, 60% by perceived safety. Social commerce’s rise is dependent on trust – that is being degraded by platform policies and the ease of content creation through AI. 

The vibes are off, so we’re looking for private spaces  

As a result of all the overwhelm, we’re learning to put our guard up online, so mining for true insights in the public digital square will be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. For marketers, feelings about tech will look very different by 2030. People are curious about spaces or experiences that are free from documentation, recording, and selling. The feeling of privacy – and its subsequent vibes – will be markedly different.

To get to the uncommon truth, we need to have deeper (private) conversations if we want deeper insights.  

As public scrutiny grows and digital fatigue rises, social media is becoming less social. As Kyle Chayka observed, our feeds are increasingly dominated by curated content, AI bots, and targeted ads – not spontaneous glimpses into friends’ lives. 

We’re not moving into a world without technology – we’re just seeing it more clearly. The shine has worn off, and people understand what it gives them and what it takes away. The constant feed, the alerts, the expectation to be reachable are part of life, but they’re no longer the centre of it. What’s happening is a slow adjustment as people decide where technology fits and where it doesn’t. The idea of being always on is starting to look dated, a relic of the early internet optimism that equated activity with progress.

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