Social Media Tips – Week of December 22, 2025
Social Media Tips – Week of December 22, 2025
Big news this week: Instagram launches algorithm transparency controls, Australia becomes the first country to ban social media for under-16s, and Threads expands its communities feature. Here's what you need to know.
🎛️ Instagram's "Your Algorithm" Feature: Users Can Now See and Customize What They're Shown
On December 10, Instagram launched "Your Algorithm", the most transparent feature the platform has ever released. Users can now see exactly what topics Instagram thinks they're interested in and adjust their recommendations.
How it works:
• Go to the Reels tab and tap the new icon (two lines with hearts) in the upper right corner
• See AI-generated summaries of your interests based on your activity
• Add topics you want to see more of
• Remove topics you don't want to see
• Reset your recommendations entirely
• Share your interests to Stories (like Spotify Wrapped!)
What this means for school districts:
• Users now have direct control over what content they see in Reels
• Topic clarity is more important than ever — your content needs to be clearly categorized
• If you're posting about many unrelated topics, the algorithm may have trouble matching you to the right audience
• Niche consistency wins — districts should stay focused on their content pillars
The feature is currently rolling out to US users for Reels, with plans to expand to Feed and Explore in 2026.
📱 Instagram's Edits App Gets Major Update: Templates and Storyboards
Instagram's standalone video editing app "Edits" received its biggest update yet on December 10:
New features include:
• Templates: Quickly assemble videos using trending music, multiple fonts, and ready-to-use timed clips
• Storyboards: Turn your sticky notes into organized boards with teleprompter cues, videos, and notes
• Reels Library: Add public Reels from Instagram directly into your own videos for reactions and remixes
• iOS Lock Screen Widgets: Quick access to the Edits camera or sticky notes from your home screen
• Enhanced text editing: Apply secondary colors to text backgrounds and outlines
Why this matters: Adam Mosseri confirmed that using Edits will help your reach "a little bit." If you're creating video content for your district, it's worth downloading the free app.
🇦🇺 Australia Becomes First Country to Ban Social Media for Under-16s
On December 10, Australia became the first country in the world to enforce a blanket ban on social media for users under 16. This is a major development worth watching.
What's banned:
• YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, Threads, X (Twitter), Reddit, Twitch, and Kick
• Gaming platforms like Roblox are NOT included in the ban
How it works:
• Social media companies must take "reasonable steps" to prevent under-16s from creating or keeping accounts
• Age verification methods include AI facial estimation, uploaded IDs, or behavioral inference
• Companies face fines up to $50 million AUD for non-compliance
• Parents cannot consent on behalf of their children — the ban is absolute
Early results:
• Many teens have already bypassed the ban using VPNs, fake birthdates, or AI-generated images
• Platforms are still refining their age-detection systems
• Two legal challenges have been filed in Australia's High Court
Why this matters for U.S. schools:
• Similar legislation is being considered in Denmark, Norway, France, Spain, Malaysia, and New Zealand
• Several U.S. states have passed or are considering teen social media restrictions
• If Australia's ban proves effective, expect more countries to follow
• This could reshape how schools approach social media education and digital citizenship
Australia's Prime Minister compared the rollout to liquor laws: "The fact that teenagers occasionally find a way to have a drink doesn't diminish the value of having a clear national standard."
🧵 Threads Expands Communities, Now at 200+ Topics
On December 15, Threads announced it now has more than 200 communities (up from 100+ at launch in October). New additions include team-specific spaces like Lakers Threads, Knicks Threads, and Spurs Threads.
New features in testing:
• Flairs: Customizable labels underneath your username (similar to Reddit)
• Badges: Recognition for highly engaged community members
• Podcast previews: Ability to upload show snippets that play directly in feeds
• Podcast profile links: Link to your show on Apple Podcasts, iHeart, or Spotify
Current stats:
• 150+ million daily active users
• 320 million monthly active users
• Projected to exceed 400 million MAU by end of 2025
For school districts with podcasts: Threads is positioning itself as "the canonical place" for podcast discussions. This could be a good platform for sharing Social Chats episodes and engaging with listeners.
📊 LinkedIn Adds "Saves" and "Sends" Metrics
LinkedIn quietly rolled out two new analytics metrics that give you better insight into how your content performs:
• Saves: How many users bookmarked your post for later
• Sends: How many times your post was shared via direct message
Why this matters: These metrics reveal which content has lasting value (saves) versus which content sparks conversation (sends). For superintendent and district leadership accounts, this helps identify thought leadership content that resonates beyond simple likes.
Other LinkedIn updates this month:
• AI-powered conversational search: Ask professional questions in plain language, get AI-generated summaries with relevant links
• Calendly integration for Premium users: Add scheduling links directly to your profile
• BrandLink expansion: Creator monetization through video ads alongside premium content
• Video content up 36% on the platform
💡 Quick Tip of the Week
Instagram's algorithm shift is now official: Keywords beat hashtags.
Adam Mosseri has confirmed that hashtags "do not work" the way they used to. With hashtag following removed in December 2024 and the new "Your Algorithm" feature giving users topic-based controls, here's how to adapt:
Do this:
• Write captions like you're optimizing for search
• Put your most important keywords in the first 2-3 sentences
• Use 3-5 highly relevant hashtags maximum
• Create content people want to share via DM (sends are the #1 engagement signal)
• Stay consistent with your content topics
Stop doing this:
• Using 20-30 hashtags per post
• Copying and pasting the same hashtag blocks
• Relying on hashtags for discovery
Remember: Instagram now behaves more like a search engine than a hashtag-based discovery tool.
📅 Looking Ahead
• TikTok: Deal deadline extended to December 16, then likely further to January 22, 2026
• Threads ads: Expected to launch in early 2025
• Instagram "Your Algorithm": Will expand beyond Reels to Feed and Explore
• Australia ban: eSafety Commissioner will release preliminary compliance data before Christmas
Be on the lookout, tips drop every Monday!
