Happy Wednesday, social pros!

Switching things up a little bit this week in the Social Media Journal. I’m going to start each newsletter with the weekly social media platform updates instead of the main story/article. My goal has always been to be a resource for other social media managers/content creators and I think putting these updates more upfront each week provides more value.

But I’m curious, is there anything else you’d like to see from me each week? I’m always open to new ideas!

Before we get into this week’s newsletter though, let’s check out our sponsor, beehiiv. Fun fact, beehiiv is the platform I write and send this newsletter out on. I love it, and if you’ve ever thought about starting a newsletter, I highly recommend you check it out below!

Social Media Platform Updates

• X Launches Updated Post Analytics Display

• LinkedIn Expands Its Top-Of-Feed News Banner to More Regions

• Messenger Increases File Size Sharing to 100MB

• TikTok takes on Google Maps by surfacing reviews in the comments tab

• OpenAI is reportedly developing its own X-like social media platform

• Bluesky’s latest update adds chat reactions and an Explore page, similar to X

LinkedIn Launches New "Create on LinkedIn" Resource Hub for Content Creators

LinkedIn has unveiled a valuable new resource for professionals looking to enhance their content strategy on the platform in 2025. The newly launched "Create on LinkedIn" mini-site serves as a comprehensive hub of best practices, posting tips, examples, and strategic guidance for anyone seeking to build a stronger LinkedIn presence.

What the Mini-Site Offers

The resource center is thoughtfully organized into several key sections:

Foundation and Strategy

The site begins with a foundational overview explaining the "why" behind LinkedIn posting, offering context for professionals who want to understand the strategic value of creating content on the platform. From here, visitors can navigate to more specialized sections focusing on specific content elements.

Content Creation Best Practices

LinkedIn has compiled essential posting tips and fundamental principles for creating engaging content. These guidelines can help both newcomers and experienced users refine their approach to generate more meaningful engagement with their professional network.

Video Content Focus

A standout section of the mini-site is dedicated entirely to video content, which has seen remarkable growth on the platform. According to LinkedIn's own reporting, video watch time has increased by 36% year-over-year, and video content generates 1.4x more engagement than other formats.

This specialized section includes:

• Performance optimization tips

• Guidance on ideal video length

• Technical specifications for LinkedIn video

• Strategic approaches to video storytelling

Skills Development Integration

For those looking to deepen their LinkedIn marketing expertise, the mini-site includes relevant links to LinkedIn Learning courses specifically designed to help users maximize their platform presence.

Why This Matters for Professionals

Even for confident LinkedIn users who believe they've mastered the platform, the resource hub likely contains insights and best practices that could elevate their content strategy. As LinkedIn's algorithm and user engagement patterns continue to evolve, staying current with recommended practices can make a significant difference in content performance.

The mini-site serves as both an educational resource for beginners and a reference point for experienced creators who want to refine their approach or troubleshoot engagement challenges.

With LinkedIn's increasing emphasis on content creation and the proven performance advantages of formats like video, taking time to explore these resources could yield substantial improvements to your professional visibility and engagement.

For professionals focused on building thought leadership, expanding their network, or driving business outcomes through LinkedIn, this new resource hub represents a valuable addition to the platform's creator ecosystem.

This Week’s Social Media Meme

Meta's Teen Targeting: When Emotional Vulnerability Becomes a Marketing Tool

In recent testimony before U.S. senators, Meta whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams made alarming claims about the company's advertising practices targeting teenagers. As the former director of Global Public Policy for Facebook and author of "Careless People," Wynn-Williams has pulled back the curtain on what she describes as deeply concerning tactics employed by the social media giant.

The Disturbing Allegations

According to Wynn-Williams, Meta (then Facebook) specifically targeted teens aged 13-17 with advertisements based on their emotional state. She testified that the platform could identify when teenagers were "feeling worthless or helpless or like a failure" and would share this information with advertisers who understood that "when people don't feel good about themselves, it's often a good time to pitch a product."

The examples she provided were particularly troubling:

• If a teen girl deleted a selfie, advertisers might see this as an opportunity to sell her beauty products when she was feeling insecure about her appearance

• Young girls with body confidence concerns were targeted with weight loss advertisements

• Meta allegedly recognized teens as a "vulnerable but very valuable demographic" to advertisers

Even more concerning was Wynn-Williams' revelation about tech executives' personal practices. She claimed many Silicon Valley executives, including those at Meta, don't allow their own children to use the products they build. "They know the harm this product does," she testified, calling out the "hypocrisy at every level."

Meta's Response

Meta has categorically denied these allegations, calling Wynn-Williams' testimony "divorced from reality and riddled with false claims." Regarding teen targeting specifically, the company pointed to its implementation of Teen Accounts with "built-in protections" that automatically limit contact and content exposure. They highlighted that teens under 16 need parental permission to change account settings and that parents have oversight options.

The company also referenced a 2017 statement directly addressing claims about targeting ads based on emotional state, saying this analysis "was never used to target ads and was based on data that was anonymous and aggregated."

The Bigger Picture: Is Meta's Data Collection Too Harmful?

The question we must confront is whether a platform should have the power to monitor teenagers' emotional states at all, regardless of how that information is ultimately used.

Adolescence is already a turbulent time of identity formation and emotional vulnerability. When a trillion-dollar company tracks moments of insecurity or self-doubt and potentially weaponizes them for commercial gain, we've crossed an ethical line that no privacy policy update can erase.

Even if Meta's current safeguards are robust (as they claim), the fact remains that their business model fundamentally relies on gathering intimate data about users' behaviors, preferences, and emotional states. For adults, this raises serious privacy concerns. For teenagers whose brains are still developing and who are particularly susceptible to social pressure and targeted messaging, this surveillance capitalism takes on a more predatory dimension.

The most telling evidence might be the alleged behavior of Meta's own executives. If the people building these platforms don't trust them with their own children, why should any parent?

As users and citizens, we need to demand greater transparency about what data is collected from young users, how it's used, and whether emotionally vulnerable moments should be off-limits entirely to algorithmic analysis. Regulatory oversight must evolve to protect those most vulnerable to manipulation.

Until then, perhaps we should follow the apparent example of Silicon Valley insiders: approach these platforms with extreme caution, especially when it comes to our children.

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