When Facebook launched over twenty years ago, social media was new and simple. That was the platform we used because it felt like the only option.

Today, we communicate through a web of digital platforms. Information flows across messaging apps, social networks, newsletters, podcasts, discussion forums, and private communities. We no longer share one Internet; we’re each navigating our own version of it.

When I speak with experts about how they spend time online, many assume that all platforms work the same way. Most stick with what they know or whose brand they like.

But here’s the truth: each platform works differently, and most aren’t inherently good or bad.

Like choosing a family car or a pair of winter boots, you have a lot of choice in which platforms are right for you. Each is designed to work differently, and has its own tradeoffs. The best choice depends on what your goals are, who you want to connect with, and what kind of experience you want to have.

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That’s the idea behind this series, Lurker’s Guide to the Internet. It’s a framework for evaluating your options to help you lurk with intention.

Throughout the series, we’ll look at platforms through four lenses:

• How is information communicated? (Format)

• How do people find each other? (Discovery)

• Who sets the rules? (Governance)

• Who pays for the platform? (Monetization)

Before we dive in, check out this field guide to the platforms we’ll be referencing throughout the series. Think of it as a map of the terrain. It introduces the major platforms, explains why I included them, and highlights a few caveats to keep in mind as we go.

Okay, let’s start. First up: format.

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If you've ever found yourself bouncing between Instagram Reels, Facebook posts, podcasts, and endless open tabs of articles, congratulations. You’re a human online.

But are you spending your time intentionally, based on your goals, preferences, and boundaries?

Different platforms are built for different types of content and ways to interact with people. Understanding what each does well is the first step to figuring out where you want to spend your time.

Written text

Benefits:

• Free and easy to produce, so it’s accessible to any creator.

• The easiest format for search engines to index and for AI systems to retrieve and analyze. That makes text-based content particularly influential in how information is discovered and reused.

Tradeoffs:

• Requires literacy skills, which can vary widely.

• Limited to whatever content is produced in your language. AI translation is reducing this barrier, but it remains a challenge for less common languages and dialects.

Images and graphics

Benefits:

• Can simplify complexity in ways text can’t.

• Can reduce language barriers.

Tradeoffs:

• Requires design skills, which makes it less accessible to creators.

• Risk of over-simplifying complexity.

Video

Benefits:

• One of the dominant formats on today’s Internet.

• Low technical barrier to entry for anyone with a phone or computer to film themselves.

• Easiest format for showing personality and building familiarity with an audience.

Tradeoffs:

• Making good videos takes time, skill, and practice.

• Many people feel cautious about speaking on camera online.

Audio (podcasts)

Benefits:

• Less demanding than visual media and can be incorporated in your everyday routines.

• Can build deeper intimacy with a creator without competing visual distractions.

Tradeoffs:

• Limited to what’s available in your language.

• New podcasts require marketing and can be hard to discover.

Once you’ve worked through format, there’s the question of short-form versus long-form.

Short-form content

For the purposes of this guide, I consider short-form content anything that can typically be consumed in under three minutes.

Benefits:

• Useful for discovering new topics or creators, getting precise information that you need quickly, or simply for moments when your brain is just too tired to consume complex content.

• A common entry point to more in-depth content on the topic or from the creator.

Tradeoffs:

• Sacrifices either breadth or depth. So you often have to go back or find other formats for more information.

Long-form content

Benefits:

• Offers more nuance and depth to a topic.

• Often has a longer shelf life than short-form content, particularly when it answers evergreen questions.

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How the major platforms compare

Let’s start with text-first platforms. Remember that these maps focus on the primary way each platform is designed and used, and to check out the field guide to see which platforms I’m highlighting and why.

As we go short to long:

• X and Threads are on the shortest end because they’re designed to restrict how many characters are allowed in any individual post. On X, you’re limited to 280 characters on the free version. And on Threads, the limit is 500 characters for regular posts.

• Telegram, WhatsApp, Messages, and Slack are private messaging apps. They’re designed for shorter messages, but can be used for longer discussions. Messaging is a key part of the information ecosystem because communities often migrate from public platforms into private conversations. Creators also use these tools to offer exclusive content and build audience loyalty.

• Reddit, Discord, and Mastodon are interest-based platforms, which are more open than private chat groups. Posts can vary in length, and long discussions may form among users.

• Facebook was built on text posts. Length of posts can vary.

• LinkedIn remains organized around written posts and articles, although video is increasingly prominent. It also offers a newsletter feature for longer writing.

• Substack is designed for newsletters and longer writing, and your personal website is yours to make with as short or long text as you like.

Now let’s look at visual/audio-first platforms:

As we go short to long:

• Snapchat is primarily a messaging app built around photos and short videos that disappear after they're viewed or after a set period of time.

• Instagram is designed around images and short videos, while TikTok centers on short-form video. Multiple shorts can form a series to go more in-depth on topics.

• Facebook started as a text-first platform, but is increasingly dominated by video. Videos can range from short-form to full press conferences and interviews.

• YouTube is built around long-form video and can even host full-length films. It also distributes podcasts, as well as short videos through its feature YouTube Shorts.

• Spotify is primarily a music streaming platform, but it has become the world's largest podcast distribution platform. Podcasts increasingly incorporate both video and audio-only formats. While there are short podcasts — like a headlines round-up, for example — it’s most commonly used for interviews and other long-form programming.

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When I was in school, we talked a lot about being audio or visual learners. It was common practice to acknowledge the different ways that people learn and absorb information.

That’s how I think about digital platforms. Each one enables a different way to receive and consume information. Once you understand those differences, choosing where to spend your time becomes less about the best platform — and much more about finding the right tool for you.

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Up next in the Lurker’s Guide: Discovery. How different platforms connect you with other people and the types of content they think you’ll like. ◾

It highlights the top platforms in each category with the largest global user bases. I’ve also included smaller platforms that are relevant for experts.

Use this post to quickly understand how the main platforms work and differ. You can refer back to it throughout the series.

Scroll below or search for specific platforms:

• Private community platforms: WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Messages

• Open community platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, X, Threads, LinkedIn

• Discovery and search platforms: YouTube, TikTok, Spotify, Reddit, Substack

• Other platforms you should know: Personal website, Mastodon

At the end of this post, I’ve listed caveats and considerations for this series.

Private community platforms

Private community platforms allow controlled user access. You chat with people you know or have invited. The content is often encrypted to keep it private, and it doesn't appear in public feeds or search results.

Users tend to trust and engage more in these spaces. As public platforms face challenges, more people are moving to private communities for safer-feeling interactions. Creators also use these platforms to monetize their communities through exclusive content.

Note: This list focuses on platforms where private communities are the main product. Some open platforms also offer private products, e.g. Facebook Groups, Instagram Messenger, and Substack chat.

WhatsApp
Meta | Menlo Park, USA | Public company (NASDAQ: META)

WhatsApp is a messaging app used for one-on-one and group chats via text, voice, and video. It’s the leading private messaging platform outside the United States, used by families, professional networks, and businesses.

Users: 3 billion monthly active users globally. Broadest geographic reach of any messaging app. Dominant in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Business model: Paid WhatsApp Business API, with Meta’s advertising ecosystem supporting the free consumer app.

Ownership: Owned by Meta, which also owns Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.

Distribution logic: Direct and group messaging only. No algorithmic feed or public content.

Privacy: End-to-end encrypted by default.

Notable for experts: A common venue for professional networks, especially outside the US.

Telegram
Telegram FZ-LLC | Dubai, UAE | Private company

Telegram is a messaging app for one-on-one chats, supergroups of up to 200,000 members, and large channels for one-way communication. It blends private messaging and broadcasting.

Users: 1 billion monthly active users globally. Strong presence in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Skews toward users seeking alternatives to mainstream platforms.

Business model: Premium subscriptions and ads in public channels.

Ownership: Founded by Pavel Durov, who also founded VKontakte (Russia’s largest social network).

Distribution logic: Hybrid. Private chats and groups function like WhatsApp. Public channels function more like a broadcast feed — anyone can subscribe and content is publicly searchable.

Privacy: End-to-end encryption is available but not on by default for group chats.

Notable for experts: Significant for news, underground culture, and political organizing. It faces scrutiny for misinformation and extremist content.

Discord
Discord Inc. | San Francisco, USA | Private company

Discord is a platform built around servers — communities organized into topic-based channels for text, voice, and video. Initially for gamers, it’s now popular among professional communities, researchers, and creators.

Users: 200–260 million monthly active users globally. Skews younger but expanding in professional use.

Business model: Premium subscriptions (Nitro) and server boosts.

Ownership: Independent private company. Turned down a $12 billion acquisition offer from Microsoft in 2021.

Distribution logic: Community-based. Content stays within servers. There is no cross-platform algorithmic feed. Discovery happens through server directories or direct invitation.

Privacy: Not end-to-end encrypted. Discord moderates content at the platform level. Server owners moderate at the community level.

Notable for experts: Easy to create moderated communities around specific topics.

Slack
Slack Technologies | San Francisco, USA | Subsidiary of Salesforce (NYSE: CRM)

Slack is a workplace messaging platform organized around channels. Often used for internal team communication and increasingly for distributed communities, like professional associations and peer groups.

Users: ~52 million registered users globally. Predominantly professional — businesses, academic institutions, newsrooms, and nonprofits — with a growing segment of community-based users outside traditional workplace contexts.

Business model: Freemium subscriptions. Free tier limits message history; paid tiers unlock full functionality.

Ownership: Acquired by Salesforce in 2021.

Distribution logic: Channel-based within organizations or invite-only workspaces. No public feed or algorithmic distribution.

Privacy: Not end-to-end encrypted. Slack moderates content at the platform level. On paid plans, workspace administrators can export and read all message history, including direct messages.

Notable for experts: Many academic and research organizations use Slack for internal operations and external professional communities.

Messages
Apple Inc. | Cupertino, USA | Public company (NASDAQ: AAPL)

Messages is Apple’s built-in messaging app, available exclusively on Apple devices, used for one-on-one and group conversations via text, voice, and video.

Users: Apple does not publish Messages user numbers, but the app is widely used because it's built into every iPhone. Apple has approximately 1.2–1.4 billion active devices globally. Messages is particularly prevalent in North America.

Business model: No direct monetization. It retains users within the Apple ecosystem.

Ownership: Owned by Apple.

Distribution logic: Direct and group messaging only. Fully private, no public feed or algorithmic distribution.

Privacy: End-to-end encrypted by default.

Notable for experts: Included here not because of scale, but for its prevalence in North America, where it serves as a default communication tool for many people.

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Open community platforms

Open community platforms focus on social connections. Users follow people, build networks, and join public conversations. Content is mostly public, accessible to anyone, and can appear in search results.

These platforms are often linked to social media. Currently, they face significant policy and legal scrutiny about their design. Features like content recommendations and infinite scroll may change.

Facebook
Meta | Menlo Park, USA | Public company (NASDAQ: META)

Facebook is a social networking platform where people connect with friends, family, and public figures. Users share updates, photos, and videos, and join interest-based groups. It's also popular for local organizing and small business pages.

Users: 3.07 billion monthly active users globally. Broadest demographic reach of any platform. The 30–49 age group is the most active. Older users are a growing share of its base.

Business model: Advertising.

Ownership: Owned by Meta, which also owns Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads.

Distribution logic: Reach depends on both audience relationships and engagement signals, with algorithmic recommendations playing an increasingly important role. That means that having a Facebook page is not enough to reach people — even your own followers. Consistent posting and audience interaction are required to maintain visibility.

Privacy: No end-to-end encryption for public content. Private groups are mostly moderated by admins. Messenger has end-to-end encryption.

Notable for experts: Facebook Groups host diverse online communities, from neighborhood networks to professional associations. Groups are often private, and vary in quality and norms based on admin control.

Instagram
Meta | Menlo Park, USA | Public company (NASDAQ: META)

Instagram focuses on photos and short videos. It started with lifestyle content but now supports creators, brands, and educational material.

Users: 3 billion monthly active users globally. Particularly strong among 18–34 year olds.

Business model: Advertising.

Ownership: Owned by Meta, which also owns Facebook, WhatsApp, and Threads.

Distribution logic: Hybrid. Feed posts and Stories are primarily shown to followers but ranked algorithmically. Reels work differently: they're distributed algorithmically to non-followers based on interest and engagement signals, similar to TikTok. This makes Reels a stronger discovery tool than Instagram's original follower-first model.

Privacy: No end-to-end encryption for public content. Meta moderates content under its community standards.

Notable for experts: Because the feed focuses on visual formats and plays videos with the sound off by default, it prioritizes visual clarity. Also, Instagram has the highest concentration of wellness and lifestyle influencers of any platform — an important consideration for health experts and communicators.

Snapchat
Snap Inc. | Santa Monica, USA | Public company (NYSE: SNAP)

Snapchat is a messaging platform with disappearing photos and videos. It introduced the Stories format used by many platforms today.

Users: 900 million monthly active users globally. Skews younger — mostly popular among 13–24 year olds. Less relevant as a professional platform but significant as a window into how younger audiences consume information.

Business model: Advertising and Snapchat+ premium subscription.

Ownership: Independent public company.

Distribution logic: Hybrid. Direct snaps are person-to-person. Stories are visible to followers. Spotlight (its TikTok-equivalent) is algorithmically distributed to non-followers.

Privacy: By default, messages disappear after viewing but they’re not end-to-end encrypted. Snap moderates content under its community guidelines.

Notable for experts: This may not be a platform that many experts use, but it’s important to include due to its size and prevalence among young people. It’s also a way to understand how younger generations expect content to feel: casual, immediate, and unpolished.

X (formerly Twitter)
X Corp. | San Francisco, USA | Private company

X is a real-time public conversation platform built around short text-based posts, replies, and threads. As Twitter, it was a primary venue for breaking news, academic discourse, and public intellectual debate. Since Elon Musk’s acquisition in 2022, its character and reputation have shifted significantly.

Users: Approximately 600 million monthly active users globally. Historically attracted journalists, academics, and politicians.

Business model: Advertising and X Premium subscriptions.

Ownership: Acquired by Elon Musk in 2022 and taken private.

Distribution logic: Hybrid of follower-based and algorithmic feeds. X Premium subscribers receive preferential algorithmic distribution. Reach is now increasingly tied to paid features.

Privacy: No end-to-end encryption for public content. Content moderation has decreased significantly since Musk’s acquisition.

Notable for experts: Historically the most important platform for academic and policy discourse. Since Musk’s acquisition, many experts and journalists have shifted to Bluesky, Threads, and LinkedIn. But X remains significant.

Threads
Meta | Menlo Park, USA | Public company (NASDAQ: META)

Threads is Meta’s text-based social platform, launched in 2023 as a direct competitor to X. It is built on Instagram’s social graph, so you automatically connect with those that you already follow on Instagram.

Users: 400 million monthly active users globally and growing rapidly. User base skews toward existing Instagram users and those who left X after 2022.

Business model: Advertising.

Ownership: Owned by Meta, which also owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Distribution logic: Algorithmic feed with a following feed option. Benefits from Meta’s recommendation infrastructure and cross-promotion across Instagram and Facebook.

Privacy: No end-to-end encryption for public content. Meta moderates content under its community standards.

Notable for experts: The fastest-growing platform in this category. Still establishing its identity and community norms. Lower friction to join for anyone already on Instagram.

LinkedIn
LinkedIn Corporation | Sunnyvale, USA | Subsidiary of Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT)

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform used for connecting with colleagues, recruiting and job searching, sales prospecting, and industry networking. A growing number of professionals also use it to build public presence through text posts, long-form articles, and LinkedIn Newsletters.

Users: 1.2 billion members globally, with estimated 350 million monthly active users. Predominantly used for professional networking.

Business model: Premium subscriptions, recruiting tools, and advertising.

Ownership: Acquired by Microsoft in 2016.

Distribution logic: Algorithmic feed weighted toward engagement. Content from outside your network can reach you if it performs well. Organic reach remains relatively strong compared to Facebook and Instagram.

Privacy: No end-to-end encryption for public content. LinkedIn moderates content under its community standards.

AI indexing: LinkedIn content is widely indexed by search engines and increasingly surfaced in AI-powered search and answer engines. Professional profiles and public posts are becoming more visible in AI-generated results.

Notable for experts: The largest industries represented on LinkedIn are professional services, technology, finance, and manufacturing. Institutional fields like medicine, academia, and government are underrepresented relative to their professional weight in society.

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Discovery and search platforms

These platforms are built around topics and interests rather than your existing social network. You don't need to know anyone to find relevant content. The platform shows you content based on your searches, interactions, and what others with similar interests value.

For creators, reaching an audience relies less on follower count than on user signals about the relevance and quality of your content. So they often design their content to be easily indexed for the questions and topics people are searching for. These platforms can help creators reach people who are actively looking for the information they offer — often strangers who would rarely connect through a community-based network.

YouTube
Google LLC | San Bruno, USA | Subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL)

YouTube is a video platform for watching, sharing, and commenting on everything from short clips to documentaries. It’s the largest video platform and the second largest digital platform by monthly users. It acts as both a search engine and a social network.

Users: 2.5 billion monthly active users globally. Broadest demographic reach of any video platform — it’s used across all age groups, geographies, and interests.

Business model: Advertising, with a premium subscription tier (YouTube Premium) that removes ads and enables background playback.

Ownership: Owned by Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.

Distribution logic: Hybrid of search and algorithmic recommendations. Viewers can subscribe to channels, but YouTube prioritizes watch history and engagement signals over follower relationships. Because of YouTube’s search features, older videos can still generate views long after they're published, giving content a shelf life that most social platforms don't offer.

Privacy: No end-to-end encryption for public content. YouTube moderates content under its Community Guidelines.

Notable for experts: The combination of searchability and long content shelf life makes YouTube uniquely suited for evergreen expert content like explainers and lectures.

TikTok
ByteDance (global) | Beijing, China | Private company
TikTok Inc. (US) | Los Angeles, USA | Private company

TikTok is a short-form video platform that serves content based on users’ searches, interests, and engagement. It has become a significant venue for education and expert commentary, alongside entertainment.

Users: About 1.6–2 billion monthly active users globally. Skews younger but older demographics are growing. Strong presence in Southeast Asia, North America, and Europe.

Business model: Advertising, in-app purchases, and commerce (TikTok Shop).

Ownership: Owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company. In the US, it operates as a separate entity under TikTok Inc., following regulatory pressure over data privacy and national security concerns.

Distribution logic: Interest- and search-based algorithm, not follower-based. Creators without followers can reach millions if their content is considered helpful and engaging.

Privacy: No end-to-end encryption for public content. TikTok moderates content under its community guidelines. Has faced scrutiny in the US over data privacy and access by its Chinese parent company.

Notable for experts: TikTok offers excellent organic reach to audiences beyond your existing network. Authenticity is rewarded over polished production, a shift from earlier platforms like YouTube and Instagram. Regulatory uncertainty in the US is a concern for experts in sensitive fields.

Spotify
Spotify Technology S.A. | Stockholm, Sweden | Public company (NYSE: SPOT)

Spotify is primarily an audio streaming platform known for music but is now a leading distribution platform for podcasts. It serves as both a hosting and discovery platform for audio content.

Users: Approximately 750 million monthly active users globally. Broad demographic reach across age groups and geographies. Podcast listeners tend to be educated, higher-income audiences.

Business model: Freemium subscriptions. Free tier is ad-supported; Premium removes ads and enables offline listening.

Ownership: Independent public company headquartered in Stockholm.

Distribution logic: Hybrid of search and algorithmic recommendation. Podcasts are surfaced through search, editorial playlists, and Spotify’s recommendation engine. Discovery is harder than on video platforms — podcast growth tends to rely heavily on cross-promotion from other platforms.

Privacy: Standard data collection for personalization. Content moderation applies to podcasts hosted on Spotify under its platform rules.

Notable for experts: Podcasting suits experts well with its long and conversational format. The barrier to entry is lower than video. However, discoverability remains a challenge for new creators.

Reddit
Reddit Inc. | San Francisco, USA | Public company (NYSE: RDDT)

Reddit is a network of topic-based communities called subreddits where people share links, ask questions, and have discussions. Content is ranked by community upvotes rather than follower count or algorithmic recommendation, making it one of the most distinctly community-governed platforms at scale.

Users: Approximately 765 million monthly active users globally. Skews younger and male, though women users have been steadily growing, driven in part by active communities around women's health, relationships, and lifestyle topics.

Business model: Advertising and Reddit Premium subscriptions.

Ownership: Independent public company; went public in 2024.

Distribution logic: Community and vote-based. Content rises or falls based on upvotes within each subreddit. There is no follower feed — discovery happens within communities you join or through Reddit’s front page aggregation. Moderators are volunteer community members, not Reddit staff or vendors.

Privacy: No end-to-end encryption for public content. Reddit moderates at the platform level. Individual subreddits are moderated by volunteer community members with significant autonomy.

AI indexing: Reddit has become an important source of training and retrieval data for AI systems, supported by formal licensing agreements with companies including Google and OpenAI.

Notable for experts: Reddit has become a significant venue for peer knowledge-sharing in communities that feel underserved by mainstream institutions and legacy media — women's health, chronic illness, and mental health are among the most active.

Substack
Substack Inc. | San Francisco, USA | Private company

Substack is a platform for newsletters, podcasts, and long-form writing. Writers publish directly to subscriber inboxes, and often give readers the option to pay for premium content.

Users: 20 million monthly active subscribers globally. While small compared to other platforms, subscribers are highly engaged and have opted in to receive content.

Business model: Free to publish, and writers can monetize directly through reader subscriptions. Substack takes a 10% commission on paid subscriptions.

Ownership: Independent private company, backed by venture capital.

Distribution logic: Primarily direct — content goes to subscriber inboxes. Substack has an algorithm-based feed called Notes, but email remains the main method. Writers own their subscriber lists and can export them.

Privacy: Standard data collection. Content moderation is notably light compared to other platforms. Substack has faced criticism for hosting controversial content with limited intervention.

AI indexing: Public Substack posts are increasingly discoverable through AI-powered search systems. The text-heavy format is well-suited for indexing.

Notable for experts: You own your audience here; your subscriber list is yours. The direct-to-inbox model ensures your content reaches subscribers without competing in an algorithmic feed. It has a small but engaged readership, gaining credibility for serious writing by experts. However, internal discovery is limited; most writers promote their newsletters on other platforms.

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Other platforms you should know

The platforms below don't fit neatly into the categories above, but are important for understanding the full range of options in the digital information ecosystem.

Personal website (direct publishing)
Various hosts

A personal website is your online space. You control its content and design. It’s hosted on your domain and built on your chosen platform. You aren't bound by third-party rules or algorithms.

Users: Not applicable. A personal website is your piece of real estate online.

Business model: Costs vary. Domain registration and hosting typically run $50–200 per year. Costs may increase if you hire designers or other technical support.

Ownership: You own everything: your content, domain, data, and audience relationships.

Distribution logic: None. A personal website lacks an algorithm, feed, or audience. Traffic comes from search engines, links, or direct visits. This option offers high control but low built-in reach.

Privacy: Fully under your control. You decide site accessibility and data collection from visitors.

Notable for experts: A personal website offers complete control over content, design, distribution, and data. The tradeoff is that you must build your audience. Many experts use it as a home base to showcase their work across platforms, rather than as a primary content channel.

Mastodon (open source network)
Mastodon gGmbH | Berlin, Germany | Nonprofit

Mastodon is a decentralized, open-source social network made of independent servers, or instances, that communicate with each other. Imagine viewing Instagram content through your TikTok account — that’s how instances interact. It’s part of the fediverse, a network of interconnected platforms.

Users: Under 1 million active users globally — a small fraction compared to other platforms.

Business model: No central business model or advertising. Mastodon gGmbH is funded mainly by user donations. Individual instances support themselves through donations or volunteers.

Ownership: No central owner. Mastodon gGmbH is a nonprofit that maintains open-source software and runs one of the largest instances, mastodon.social. It doesn’t control the thousands of other independent instances worldwide. No one governs the fediverse as a whole.

Distribution logic: Follower-based within and across instances. No central algorithm — content appears chronologically. No advertising, and no engagement-optimized recommendation engine.

Privacy: Varies by instance. Content moderation is managed by individual instance administrators, not a central company.

Notable for experts: I included Mastodon because of what it represents — a working example of a platform governed entirely by its community rather than a corporation. It embodies what a lot of people say they wish for in platforms: no ads, no algorithm, no central authority. However, its small size and technical barrier to entry make it an unlikely starting point for most.

Caveats and considerations

Here are some important points to keep in mind when using the Lurker’s Guide to the Internet series:

• The user figures come from public sources, including company announcements, earnings calls, and third-party aggregators like Backlinko, Statista, and DemandSage. These numbers change often and may use different definitions. Treat them as directional, not exact.

• The map focuses on the largest global platforms by active user base. Region-specific platforms like WeChat, Douyin, or LINE are not included, despite their large user bases.

• I am also excluding sector-specific platforms, such as Academia.edu for academics or Doximity for physicians. Still, I hope this series helps you think about the qualities you want in the platforms you use.

• Some platforms with smaller user bases are included, like LinkedIn, Messages, personal websites, and Mastodon (an open-source network), as they are relevant for experts.

• This series covers only organic (unpaid) distribution. Paid advertising and content boosting are not included.

• Specific reasons for choosing one platform over another are not considered. This includes accessibility features or user demographics like age, language, political views, or location.

• The series is based on publicly available information and my direct experience. For transparency, I worked at Meta from 2018-2024. ◾

Are you a lurker? Someone who scrolls through the feed, watching, reading — but never posting?

If so, you’re not alone.

For over 20 years, the 90-9-1 rule (also called the 1% rule) has been used to describe how people participate in online communities. Of course, the proportions vary – an open platform like Instagram is different from a niche subreddit or a private Slack channel. But generally, the pattern holds.

Here’s how it works:

• 90% of people consume content only. Simply scrolling, watching, and reading.

• 9% of people engage in some ways. Such as commenting, liking, or sharing posts.

• Only 1% actually post or create new content.

When people talk about the quality of information online (or lack thereof), most focus on the 1%. That makes sense. A tiny number of people are shaping discourse in the spaces people now use as their primary source of information. In that regard, it’s not all too different from legacy media; from newspapers to the movies, a select group of people make content for the general public to consume.

But in the digital world, there’s no such thing as a passive audience. The 99% play an active role too, and it’s just as important in shaping the information ecosystem.

Here are five ways you’re contributing online, even if you never post:

1. You watch a video – even briefly.

You don’t have to watch a video to its end for a platform to count it as viewed. When I worked at Meta, that threshold was three seconds.

It doesn’t matter if the video is actually 10 minutes long. It doesn’t matter if you stayed on it because you wanted to give it a chance, or got distracted by something else.

Views matter because in a world where 90% of people never engage, they’re a foundational signal that a piece of content is ‘high quality.’ And ‘high quality’ content gets shown to more people.

2. You rewatch a video.

You know how a replay button shows up when videos end? Or on TikTok, videos automatically loop and restart?

Every time a video gets played again, it counts as another view.

Some creators will take advantage of this. For example, they’ll make a short video with long captions. That keeps the video playing (and re-playing) while you’re reading. Each loop counts as a new view, and signals quality.

3. You save something, or you share it.

These are two different actions, but I’m putting them together because they both indicate that a piece of content is useful.

That said, they’re not equal. Sharing content is a higher-value action because it means you are putting something out there for others. Saving posts, on the other hand, suggests that you want to reference it later for yourself.

Again, it doesn’t matter why you save or share a piece of content. You might save a post with misinformation for research or share it with colleagues to analyze what people are saying about your field.

But the platform cannot distinguish between endorsement and examination. It only sees actions that say the content is useful and worth spreading.

4. You comment.

Like saving and sharing, people comment for different reasons. It can be anything from light encouragement – Congrats on the new job! – to deeper thoughts and discussion. You might also comment on a post because you believe it’s misleading and want to correct it.

I spent time at Meta studying how much it matters to make corrections in comments. What I learned was that the simple act of commenting – regardless of what the comment says – is enough to encourage wider distribution. That means more people will see the original post (but whether they’ll see your correction is less certain).

Also, commenting risks sparking further conversation – and each subsequent comment gives more signal that the original post should be spread further.

5. You follow or subscribe.

Following or subscribing to a creator tells a platform and its users that this is a voice worth being heard. That helps to make their content more visible to other people who need it — either through platform recommendations, or through your network discovering them through you.

Beyond that, following a creator tells them that their voice matters. Remember: creators are people too, and it’s not easy to put yourself out there. That’s why only 1% of people do it!

Following creators you like increases the chances that they’ll keep doing it, and keep making the kind of content you want to see.

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It’s ok if you don’t want to make content. Most people don’t. But the way you lurk matters.

I know it doesn’t feel like much in the moment. But together, our small actions play a big role in shaping who and what gets elevated. Not just for the algorithms, but for the people using these metrics to decide what kind of content they should make.

You may never post. But if you’re online, you’re contributing to the ecosystem. ◾

Five years ago, as COVID-19 was shutting down the world, Mark Zuckerberg committed to give the World Health Organization (WHO) ‘as many free ads as they need’ to amplify vital public health information on Facebook and Instagram. I got called in to help design and execute that program, which supported not just the WHO but other UN agencies, government health officials, and nonprofits around the world. We reached over two billion people in 180 countries, and tangibly increased public interest in the COVID-19 vaccine. In the end, the effort took three years, hundreds of millions of dollars, and countless hours of hard work from Meta staff, public health experts, and creatives.

Today, a single doctor can build similar (if not more) trust, using just her phone.

This shift is happening everywhere: in public service sectors as well as commercial ones. By turning the camera on themselves, creators are bypassing the limits of institutional risk aversion and corporate energy. Instead, they’re embracing the hallmarks of what people trust today: humanized, unpolished, and emotionally authentic messaging.

Here are the patterns I see among the most effective medical creators:

Some specialty areas are natural fits for social media

Beauty has become one of social media's biggest categories, from Instagram reshaping fashion to social platforms now powering billion-dollar skincare businesses. These phenomena make sense, as women dominate men on almost all platforms, and digital commerce now drives over half of beauty sales globally.

With so many consumers already engaging online, it’s a clear strategic move for beauty-adjacent health experts to meet them there. For example, dermatologists like NYC-based Dr. Shereene Idriss (1.4M IG / 1.6M YT) and Dr. Andrea Suarez, based in Houston and known online as Dr. Dray (600k IG / 2.5M YT) have amassed huge audiences by incorporating medical information into the cultural zeitgeist and shouting at us to wear the damn sunscreen.

@shereeneidrissWear the damn sunscreen! 👏 Your skin will thank you for it in the long run. If not for your health, then for vanity sake, just do it 🤷‍♀️ #solareclipse #eclipse #sunscreen #sunscreenviral #spf #dermatologist #shereeneidriss #dridriss @ShereeneIdriss

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As one of social’s biggest categories, beauty is also a crowded space. With over 1.5 million beauty influencers in the US alone, people have a lot of choice in whose advice they want to follow, from enthusiasts to makeup artists to facialists and scientists. It goes without saying that medical creators will not reach everyone online. And that’s ok. Just like in life, one person may go to a spa for a chronic skin condition while another goes to a surgeon for something that can be addressed with makeup. We can’t change human nature, but we can give people more and better options for informing themselves.

Topics that are both urgent and taboo

On the other end of the spectrum, social media is giving space to medical topics that are considered too niche, embarrassing, or uncomfortable to talk about openly.

By this, we mean everyday health issues – things like periods, poop, perimenopause, and even death. And yet, these topics are systemically overlooked – either because they are deeply individual, rooted in shame, or considered socially taboo. With delayed treatment having potentially fatal implications, it’s all the more vital to meet people where they are and reduce stigma. And peer-to-peer media, with its simultaneously anonymous and intimate qualities, plays a critical role in normalizing conversations that our ‘real life’ social circles often don’t want to have.

@socalgastrodocDid you know most people poop in the morning? Coffee and your colons circadian rhythm are two contributing factors #guthealth #onthisday #poop #pooptok #medicalhumor #marriedlife

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Another striking example is the wave of hospice nurses coming on social media to educate the public about death, reduce fear, and support people experiencing loss. One of the best known creators in this space is California-based Julie McFadden, known online as @hospicenursejulie (479k IG / 1.7M TT). As her engagement has grown, I’ve been impressed by how respectful her comments sections have remained — even as platforms repeatedly remove her educational videos for supposed guidelines violations. Unfortunately, heavy-handed content moderation is a problem we continue to see on multiple legal health topics that platforms deem problematic, including reproductive care as well as end-of-life education.

@hospicenursejulieReplying to @Anette Aleksandersen why Im not afraid to die. The science behind death. Pg: 66 in my book, Nothing To Fear- Demystifying Death to Live More Fully. #hospicenursejulie #hospicenurse #nothingtofear #hospice #caregivers

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Know your people, know your platform

The most effective medical creators know that good information only counts if people actually absorb it. They understand that different platforms serve different purposes, and optimize their content accordingly.

This kind of creator literacy isn’t rocket science (or medical school). Bad actors mastered the craft of engaging people long ago, and convinced many of us that trustworthy content can't do the same. That's wrong. The key is understanding your audience, and matching your content strategy to your goals.

Someone who does this very well is Dr. Okezika Kanu, a Dallas-based doctor known online as Dr. Zikky (50k TT). For example, his video comparing the cold and flu demonstrates a thoughtful strategy to creating content for a discovery-driven platform like TikTok. He opens with a clear hook to quickly get the scroller’s attention, uses dynamic zoom-in and -outs for visual interest, and incorporates graphics that supplement detail. At 54 seconds long, the video covers a lot of ground and includes a final call to action.

@dr._zikkyCold and flu symptoms can overlap, but they differ in intensity. Colds develop gradually with milder symptoms, while the flu strikes suddenly with severe symptoms like high fever and body aches. Knowing the difference can help with quicker recovery. #ColdVsFlu #HealthTips #ColdSymptoms #FluSymptoms #SeasonalIllness #StayHealthy #FluSeason #Wellness #MedicalAdvice #PreventIllness Disclaimer: This content is intended for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, advice, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for concerns about your health, especially if you are unsure whether you have a cold or the flu. Early consultation can aid in better management and recovery.

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What makes Dr. Zikky's approach effective isn't just the format, but the strategy behind it. He understands that his audience isn’t necessarily looking for health information, but they might absorb it while scrolling. His content is quick and practical. It’s educational without feeling pedagogical. Authoritative but not intimidating.

At scale, effective health communication — or any topic for that matter — requires a portfolio approach. Examples like Dr. Zikky provide a glimpse of what could be possible with stronger collaboration between institutions and individual creators. Not competing for attention, but coordinating to reach different audiences where they are.

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The doctor’s humanity makes her trustworthy

In a time when legacy institutions are losing public trust, one of the most powerful things a doctor can do online is to simply show up as a person.

That’s not easy. For generations, medical authority was rooted in emotional distance to project clinical objectivity; personal vulnerability was viewed unfavorably. But professionalism means something different now. Especially for people who have felt ignored by the health system, an institutional badge might be the very thing they don’t trust. A real person, by contrast, can still cut through.

That’s how creators like Dr. Elisabeth Potter (191k TT / 183k IG), a reconstructive plastic surgeon in Texas, have built such powerful followings. Dr. Potter shares what it’s like to run a medical practice, navigate insurance bureaucracy, and advocate for her patients. Her content has gained so much traction that the insurance company United Healthcare retaliated against her — jeopardizing her clinic and her ability to treat cancer survivors.

Even though Dr. Potter doesn’t post a lot of medical advice, her medical credibility still rings through. And her followers aren’t just passive watchers; they’ve taken real action to support her.

This is what the best medical creators understand: building trust can change behavior. And in an information ecosystem where there is so much noise, that trust — earned one post at a time — might be medicine’s most powerful tool.

The credibility playbook is changing

Medical creators are doing more than reshaping public health communication. They’re proving that it is possible to express expertise online in engaging ways, and that a willingness to connect authentically can be more powerful than institutional authority alone.

This has implications far beyond medicine. Every field has experts who could be communicating more authentically online. The challenge is figuring out how to do it strategically while protecting your personal boundaries.

There’s a lot yet to learn, but here’s what’s certain: to continue to thrive, institutions need to build communication agility as our information ecosystems evolve. It’s not about dumbing down expertise or replacing institutional roles; rather, we need to adapt to new structures and amplify unified messaging across channels and voices.

before you go…

Scrolling through

• It’s not just doctors and nurses who post effective health content. Patients do too. Brooke Eby’s account, with so much candor and humor about her very serious experience with ALS, is easily among the most powerful ones out there. Follow her on TikTok or Instagram.

  

  @limpbroozkit😬

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• Stephanie Hinds wrote an excellent piece about the evolution of Netflix documentaries. Once hailed for serious work like Making a Murderer, they’re now leaning into a more formulaic (dare I say, algorithmic) approach — glossed up, over-simplified, and more in the image of Dateline than documentary film. With Ted Sarandos now touting the use of AI in production, it doesn’t bode well for the filmmakers and artists Netflix once courted heavily but no longer need.

• TIME has launched its inaugural TIME100 Creators list. On one hand, it’s a sign that digital content is finally being recognized as a legitimate medium. But a cynic might see a legacy institution using the very people disrupting its influence to stay relevant. As is often the case, legitimacy and relevance go both ways.

and one more thing…

Happy place

Honoring Colorado Poet Laureate Andrea Gibson, who won last week. I’ve been aware of Andrea’s work over the years, but admittedly not deeply. Their passing has prompted me to take time to explore, and it’s been a joy to experience their poetry and observations about life, love, gender, and dancing.