Welcome back to this week’s TEAM LEWIS Social Round-Up. Kids are logging off (for real), X is dangling a million-dollar carrot, TikTok’s already planning your year, LinkedIn is quietly becoming AI’s favourite source, and Instagram’s Edits app is trying very hard to be your new best friend.
Let’s get into it 👇
Latest News
🧒 Millions of Social Media Accounts Closed as Australia’s Under-16 Ban Kicks In
Australia’s world-first under-16 social media ban is already having a very real impact. More than 4.7 million accounts across platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat were deactivated in just the first two days after the law came into effect. Meta alone removed over 550,000 accounts across Instagram, Facebook and Threads.
Early analysis from the eSafety Commissioner suggests platforms are making “meaningful attempts” to comply, with fines of up to $50 million on the line for those that don’t. While Meta continues to push back on the premise of the law, the government is framing these early figures as proof the policy is working. International interest is also growing, with other countries watching closely. 👉 Read more
💰 X Offers a $1 Million Prize for the Best Article This Month
X is making a very loud play for long-form content in 2026, announcing a $1 million prize for the most popular X Article published this month. To be eligible, writers need to be U.S.-based, X Premium subscribers, and publish an original article of at least 1,000 words.
The winner will be judged primarily on Verified Home Timeline impressions, which gives you a pretty good idea of who the audience is. The move looks less like a love letter to writers and more like a bid to pump high-volume, high-engagement long-form content into X’s ecosystem, particularly to support its AI ambitions. Whether this attracts serious journalism or just a wave of strategically polarising think pieces remains to be seen. 👉 Read more
🔮 TikTok Shares Its 2026 Trend Predictions for Marketers
TikTok has dropped its annual trend forecast, outlining what it believes will drive engagement on the platform this year. The report highlights three big themes: Reali-TEA (real experiences over polished perfection), Curiosity Detours (leaning into niche interests), and Emotional ROI (clearly communicating value).
Each trend comes with data, hashtag insights, and real brand examples, making this less crystal-ball gazing and more practical planning tool. It’s not a prescriptive playbook, but it’s a solid reference point if TikTok is a key channel for your 2026 strategy. 👉 Read more
🤖 LinkedIn Articles Are Becoming a Go-To Source for AI Answers
Referral traffic from Google continues to decline, largely thanks to AI search previews. But there’s an interesting twist: LinkedIn articles are now being cited far more frequently by AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity.
Recent studies show LinkedIn is second only to Reddit for AI citations, with LinkedIn Pulse articles seeing especially strong uptake. For brands and individuals, this reinforces the value of publishing thoughtful, authoritative content directly on LinkedIn as part of an evolving SEO and GEO strategy. 👉 Read more
🎬 Instagram’s Edits App Adds Links, Weekly Ideas and New Effects
Instagram has kicked off 2026 with fresh updates to its Edits video app. Creators can now add internal IG and Reels links directly into edited clips, access weekly personalised content ideas, and experiment with 25 new video effects.
The app also now supports multiple audio and video takes within storyboards, making it easier to refine content before publishing. Edits is quickly becoming one of the most fully-featured free video tools out there, especially for Reels-first creators. 👉 Read more
🔧 Quick Tip of the Week
If you’re already using Edits, start treating it as more than just an editor. Use the new weekly ideas prompts as lightweight content planning and test internal links to drive discovery across your own Reels and collaborations.
✨ Campaigns We Love ✨
🍟 Heinz Reinvents the Fry Box
Heinz’s new fry box with a built-in ketchup compartment proves that sometimes the smartest ideas are hiding in plain sight. A simple product tweak, executed with classic Heinz confidence. 👉 Learn more
❤️ British Heart Foundation Honours Survivors, Not Loss
BHF flips the memorial format with red benches celebrating people who survived heart disease. A powerful reminder that purpose-led creativity doesn’t need to be sombre to be meaningful. 👉 Read more
🗓️ Mark Your Calendars
Opportunities to celebrate this week
- Wednesday January 21 – National Hugging Day 🤗
- Thursday January 22 – National Hot Sauce Day 🌶️
- Friday January 23 – National Pie Day 🥧
- Saturday January 24 – Global Belly Laugh Day 😂
- Sunday January 25 – Burns Night 🥃
- Monday January 26 – National Bubble Wrap Day 🫧
- Tuesday January 27 – National Chocolate Cake Day 🎂
And next…
- Wednesday January 28 – International LEGO Day 🧱
- Thursday January 29 – National Puzzle Day 🧩
- Friday January 30 – National Fun at Work Day 🎉
- Saturday January 31 – International Zebra Day 🦓
- Sunday February 1 – National Yorkshire Pudding Day 🥘
- Monday February 2 – National Sickie Day 🤒
- Tuesday February 3 – Take a Cruise Day 🚢
- Wednesday February 4 – World Read Aloud Day 📚
That’s a wrap for this week!
I’m off to write a very serious X article about fries, feelings, and what’s big for 2026.
If you want to chat about any of it, or sense-check your 2026 social plans, give me a shout.
See you next week, bye 👋
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