But today, people have just stopped replying to each other. They have only started swiping left and right or endlessly scrolling.

1. Meaning of Engagement has Changed

There was a time when people used to like posts, comment, and discuss the shared content. It all started with people visiting forums, where they used to upvote or downvote a particular content.

Then came star systems, and even claps in medium, but comments have always been one of the best forms of engagement.

This is because comments show that people are interested in the content. They may like or hate the content, but still, it shows that the content is engaging. Comments also encourage discussion, which is the lifeline of any social media website, but as we are moving towards the future, the meaning of engagement has changed over the years.

Now engagement is not comments, likes, star systems, or claps, but the time one spends on a particular piece of content.

If you spend more time on a certain kind of content, then you are kind of hooked to that type of content and the algorithms also show you a similar kind of content online. 

Attention is the New Gold!

And everyone wants some of it.

2. Everyone is Over Whelmed with Notifications

There was a time when everyone was looking for a new notification as if it was something like a surprise box for people who were enjoying their day. But today we all are overwhelmed with too many notifications now and then.

There are so many types of notifications that we receive;

• Email Notifications - Cannot keep a count, but I am lucky to have it under control for now. I don't have any unread emails in my inbox. What is your stats?
• SMS - They have just started sending SMSes for every single thing. On average, I have around 30 SMS unread every single day, that I usually delete.
• WhatsApp Messages - Most of the groups are archived. I can't read each message in all the groups. There is a total information influx that I cannot handle.
• Calls - I receive around 30 calls every day from telemarketers which is why I have stopped receiving calls. Now I only pick calls from numbers that I have saved or I first try and search the same on Truecaller.
• Telegram - This is just intolerable. I barely open it nowadays.
• Facebook - Long forgotten, I open it in months on my PC and then close it after wasting 15 to 20 minutes.
• Instagram - Stopped paying attention to its notifications.
• Snapchat - I joined it to create a streak with my friends, but I have stopped checking out snaps now. I also receive some weird recommendations even though I only send 1 pic daily to keep the streaks active.
• Miscellaneous - Then some applications try to send some notification that I have purely ignored like travel or food-specific apps.

Several other notifications are received daily, especially on social media networks like LinkedIn or threads, which seem to be more of marketing and people trying to fakely connect and sell their products or services.

So, one of the reasons for not replying or commenting is also the influx of notifications.

3. Your Posts are Marketish

Yes, that's true. I have observed one thing in the past few years. When you post things that sound like you are trying to sell something, then people try to be away from those posts.

If you post about yourself, especially your photos or videos, people seem to be more reactive, and not when you have posted a thread of text that talks about your new website or product.

4. How to change this?

One of the best ways is to be more personal and to the point. No one likes to read through long messages if they are only talking about selling a product or service. 

The best way is to share knowledge. 

When we share knowledge, people tend to trust you, and when they trust you, they would engage with your content. 

Second way is by appreciating what others are doing. You can connect with people and just send them a message that you have gone through their content and that you like it. They would be more than happy to reply to you.