AbstractAlmost 20 years of Facebook (FB) hegemony in the social media have lately been put in jeopardy by the newly arising Chinese platform TikTok (TT), which has taken the market by storm. This comparative study aims to analyse the divergencies in the employment of AI and algorithms in the mechanics of the two social media platforms. The ‘the networked self’ model of FB is contrasted with the ‘algorithmized self’ of TT and the implications of the latest shift in the social media approach, which has skewed from the engagement with other social media users to strict interaction with the AI‐induced algorithm. Additionally, particular elements and reasons for the declining importance and involvement in the FB platform are under scrutiny here to provide an explanation for the participation downturn of the Gen Z generation in the American social media platform. This study has revealed a steady shift from FB to other social media platforms that provide a more personalized experience and the content that is better suited to the needs of contemporary young people. Another issue that is discussed is the changing agency of social media participants, who have been switching from the traditional user model to the creator mode, which allows them to employ their creativity and become immediate producers of video content that challenges traditional approaches to social media.