Social Media Lurkers
Do you ever wonder why you bother posting anything on social media, especially when it can be hard to get those likes and comments? It would be really easy to think that no one is looking or worse reacting because of your posts. However Sayers Solutions knows that its not always the case and wants to remind you that many people lurk on social media.
Social Media Lurkers are really annoying, and as someone that goes out of their way to like, comment and share, just because that’s who I am, its really frustrating when others don’t reciprocate – especially when they are your customers. You can feel let down and unappreciated.
So we have just used the new oracle, ChatGPT, and asked it “why do people lurk on social media and not like or comment?”.
Have a read below what it has said and let us know if it’s relatable and if you have anything else to add.
Here is what ChatGPT said “Great question — and super relevant when you’re trying to boost engagement.
There are lots of reasons people “lurk” (view without liking or commenting), and it’s actually really common. Most social media users are observers rather than active engagers. Here’s why:
🧠 Psychological Reasons
Fear of judgement – They worry their comment might seem silly, be judged, or spark conflict.
Shyness or introversion – They prefer to quietly consume content rather than publicly interact.
Imposter syndrome – They feel they don’t have anything “valuable” to add to the conversation.
⏳ Practical Reasons
Lack of time – They scroll quickly, often in between tasks, without stopping to engage.
Forgetting to react – They enjoy the post but simply don’t hit like or comment.
Platform friction – Sometimes they see the post outside the app (e.g. shared via email or in a browser) where engaging takes extra steps.
📊 Behavioural & Algorithmic Reasons
Passive consumption is the norm – On most platforms, about 90% of users just watch, 9% engage occasionally, and only 1% post or comment regularly (“90-9-1 rule”).
They think others are already engaging – So they don’t feel their reaction matters.
Algorithm overwhelm – Content floods their feed so they don’t build habits of interaction.
💡 What This Means for You
A lack of likes or comments doesn’t mean people aren’t seeing or valuing your posts.
Many “lurkers” will still click links, remember your brand, or talk about you offline.
Consistent posting builds trust and familiarity, even if engagement is quiet at first.”