Our Scans · (ZY.4.18) Media Studies · Weekly Summary

• [New] Social commerce revenue is projected to hit $6.2 trillion by 2030, growing at 32% annually between 2023 and 2030, reflecting the rapid expansion of social media retail and its increasing role in consumer behaviour. Los Angeles Times
• [New] By 2035, 73% of global black mass will come from end-of-life battery recycling, compared to 20% in 2024. DGAP
• [New] By 2035, 15% of global critical mineral supplies are forecast to come from recycling black mass, more than double the current 7%. DGAP
• [New] By 2026, the most popular and influential type of content on social media sites like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Shorts & Facebook will be Short Form Videos. Wisconsin Scorpions
• [New] Wildfires in California's Central Valley and wildfire-prone regions of Oregon have triggered mass internal migration, with displaced families relocating to cities like Portland and Reno - a trend projected to intensify over the coming decade. Saint Augustines University
• [New] US social media creator revenue will reach $21.04 billion in 2026, more than doubling since 2022. eMarketer
• [New] The adoption of Generative AI in insurance is expected to reach 40% by 2026 for content creation and personalized communication. Careertrainer.ai
• [New] By the end of 2026, AI visibility will be a core KPI alongside paid media and SEO. Augustine Agency
• [New] A successful social media marketing strategy will not be built around platforms in 2026. Black Marlin Technologies
• [New] Social media marketing moves fast, and the trends shaping 2026 might look very different in 2027. Finmacrocosm -
• [New] Red Team Assessment: From Moscow's perspective, NATO-standard counter-UAS technology co-produced in Estonia and informed by Ukrainian operational data represents a significant threat to the cost-exchange ratio that makes mass Shahed attacks strategically viable. Drone Warfare
• [New] With advancing technologies, by 2035, the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS - 5G) will replace GSM - R. Sofrecom
• [New] While Disney represents a classic value play, the integration of Web3 technologies and digital fan engagement could be a future frontier for media giants. Bitget
• [New] Sectoral Valuation: The media and entertainment (M & E) sector reached approximately Rs 2.5 trillion ($30 billion) in 2024, projected to hit Rs 3.06 trillion by 2027. INSIGHTS IAS - Simplifying UPSC IAS Exam Preparation
• [New] In the absence of hope for federal restrictions, court cases, like one under way in California this week, centring on the addictiveness of apps, are putting pressure on social media platforms. SKY
• [New] AI Consortium Selected by NATO to Deliver Information Environment Assessment Capability Delivered as a bespoke, enterprise-wide social intelligence solution, it will combine media monitoring, sentiment analysis, and trend detection to support decision making across the NATO enterprise. Yahoo Finance
• [New] The UK Government's consultation examining children's use of mobile phones and social media will consider potential social media bans for children and the role of age assurance technologies. Gibson Dunn
• [New] By 2026, skills like handling social media will be in strong need. Virtual Assistant Reviews
• [New] 19% of survey respondents each said traffic changes due to social media and AI and AI-driven traffic decreases will be the biggest challenges for the publishing industry in 2026 - marking the largest groups of respondents in Digiday's survey. Digiday
• [New] When Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez announced plans to ban social media for under-16s earlier this month, Spaniards could be forgiven for suspecting his real objective was not to limit children's screentime. Spiked

Last updated: 26 February 2026