Global Scans · Social · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: In the years to come, social commerce will become more widespread and the level of personalization will improve with advanced AI solutions & chatbots. The number of worldwide social media users is projected to grow from 2.1 billion in 2016 to 2.5 billion by 2018.

• [New] In 2026, the Knowledge Centre Data & Society will focus on AI literacy and maturity, digital sovereignty and digital regulation, while keeping a close eye on the technological future. EN
• [New] Unless structural reforms are undertaken to restore judicial independence, protect civil liberties, and ensure genuine competition, Uganda will remain trapped in the cycle of contested elections, a pseudo-democracy. Centre for Human Rights
• [New] Yoga's potential in American politics is undervalued, despite its deep presence in popular culture - from wellness trends to the Avatar movie universe. The Fulcrum
• [New] Recently, Airtel announced Nigeria's first Direct-to-Cell partnership with Starlink, a breakthrough that will allow customers to remain connected while travelling through deep remote areas and enable small rural communities to access Airtel's digital and fintech services. Business Post Nigeria
• [New] Afghan communities at home and abroad must recruit volunteer teachers and devise informal learning opportunities both online and offline. Eurasia Review
• [New] In 2026, social media fatigue is expected to continue. Adtraction
• [New] The Spanish government will ban social media usage for children under 16 years old, joining Australia, France, and Denmark. Everything Briefing
• [New] One of the most disruptive Social Media Marketing Trends In 2026 is the normalization of AI-generated and AI-optimized content. Hopes Tech
• [New] Influencer marketing is continuing to grow in popularity as marketers invest more in user-generated content (UGC), with social media creator revenue expected to grow to $1 trillion by 2028. Virid.com
• [New] In 2026, 61.9% of women delegates will represent historically marginalized racial / ethnic communities (that proportion is 61.8% at the end of 2025). / USA Center for American Women and Politics
• [New] Globally, construction output is expected to grow 3.3% in 2026, helped by easing financial conditions and gradual residential recovery, though civil engineering and non-residential growth may moderate under fiscal pressure. alcircle
• [New] Predicting that every job in the future will require a working knowledge of AI, University at Albany professors are going to teach faculty at Hudson Valley Community College how to incorporate artificial intelligence into their classes. CivMix
• [New] The IRS has consistently warned that it does not initiate contact through social media messages, unsolicited emails, or text messages requesting banking details. Action Valveand Cylinder
• [New] The European community must demand an end to the policy of double standards: nuclear safety cannot be a subject of political compromise when Central Europe risks becoming a new exclusion zone. / Russia Robert Lansing Institute
• [New] A successful Social Commission will demonstrate that multilateralism is crucial for responding to the needs and aspirations of people everywhere. UN DESA VOICE
• [New] Dubai chocolate's popularity originated as a TikTok social media trend, and once it had, little could stop it from spilling out into the real world. FoodNavigator.com
• [New] The U.K. has threatened to ban X and Grok, Elon Musk's social media platform and AI model, for allowing users to create explicit deepfake images of people, including children. Harvard Gazette
• [New] Social commerce globally is projected to exceed $2 trillion by 2026. TrueFuture Media
• [New] Social commerce is projected to drive $1.2 trillion in sales. Insider
• [New] Peterborough's bid to become UK City of Culture 2029 could provide a significant boost to tourism and the local economy. BBC News
• In 2026, we anticipate sophisticated threat actors like ShinyHunters will accelerate the use of highly manipulative AI-enabled social engineering, making it a significant threat. ZDNet
• Without the AEDG, it would be much more difficult for policymakers, researchers, community energy champions and bureaucrats to plan Alaska's energy future. Anchorage Daily News
• The distress as teenagers (especially socially vulnerable ones) fear the loss of social connections and the economic consequences of losing income-earning potential from content creation (notably YouTube). American Enterprise Institute - AEI

Last updated: 09 February 2026