Every night before bed, my feed knows exactly what I need: ASMR videos that quiet my mind. Midday? DJ sets that help hone my focus. This isn’t coincidence, it’s curation. I’ve trained my algorithm with intention, and honestly? It works.

Social media has become more than entertainment. It’s mood regulation, education, news, even a co-worker if you use it right. But as AI quietly integrates into these platforms, we’re being asked to rethink the role it plays, and how it plays with us.

I use AI every day, personally and professionally. ChatGPT helps me cut through digital clutter, not just to save time, but to get to what I actually care about faster. Case in point, the other day I asked it for a complete list of every Alien movie and short, in chronological order. This enabled me to jump back into my conversation with clarity without taking valuable time to sift through a search page of SEO junk. Just the list. Now that’s efficiency in service of authentic connection.

In a world where Google feels more like an ad board than a truth engine, AI can be a tool for clarity. When used with intention, it filters the noise so we can spend more time connecting, creating, or just enjoying the things we love.

But here’s the catch, AI isn’t neutral. Like social media, it reflects the values of the people building it, and the systems powering it. As users, and especially as creatives, we have to stay cautious and curious. Are we using these tools to streamline and amplify our voices, or are we letting them replace our voices altogether?

The same questions apply to social media. Are we posting to connect or to compete? Are we using platforms to build community, or just brand ourselves into oblivion? How are we influencing others and how are we being influenced? Are we gaming the algorithm or is it gaming us?

At Whitewall Creative, we use social media as both a marketing channel and a mirror, something that reflects not just what we do, but who we are. And AI helps us do that more efficiently. But it’s still our human voice, our culture, our people that make it real.

There’s a lot of uncertainty out there right now. The tech is moving fast. The algorithms are learning quickly. But the human need for connection? That hasn’t changed. If anything, it’s more important than ever. We don’t know exactly what the world will look like in a few years, but one thing is certain, social media and AI are here to stay. So how are we being thoughtful about how we use them? Are we learning, growing, evolving with the times? Who do we want to connect with, and how? And how are we letting social media connect with us?

Here’s what I’m thinking this Social Media Day, let’s keep using the tools. Let’s keep exploring AI, experimenting with platforms, training our feeds to fit our lives. But let’s not forget the goal, to connect, to create, to feel something real, even if we found it on a screen. Let’s make every moment count.