We have a problem.

As a writer for Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) News, I spend my days connecting the dots within the complex relationship between journalism and technology. While investigating how algorithms silence voices, I noticed a subtler threat: our own digital habits.

For years, the “Like” button was the universal currency of the internet, acting as a signal to creators that they were seen and a command for algorithms to amplify them. Now, the tide has turned. Audiences are increasingly bypassing public engagement in favor of private shares, forwards, and offline downloads. This “data black hole” now threatens the very livelihood of content providers.

The rise of the “ghost” audience

This issue stems from a fundamental shift in user behavior. While “reach” remains high, visible engagement is stalling. Instead of a public “Like,” users hit “Forward” to send content into private WhatsApp groups or direct messages.

A mobile screenshot showing Picture-in-Picture multitasking. Notice how the standard ‘Like,’ ‘Comment,’ and ‘Share’ buttons are stripped from the media overlay, with only basic playback controls visible, creating a clear barrier to visible creator support.

Technical features are fueling this disconnect. Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode, for instance, offers a seamless multitasking experience but creates a physical barrier to support. When a video plays in a floating window, the platform’s interface is stripped to the bare essentials: play, pause, and exit. The “Like,” “Comment,” and “Share” buttons are effectively hidden, making public support an afterthought.

Furthermore, encrypted sites and messaging apps make it nearly impossible to trace where links are shared. These platforms strip away the referral data that creators rely on. Research by RadiumOne shows that 84 percent of sharing now happens via “Dark Social” channels like email and encrypted messaging. This creates two distinct challenges:

• Creative stagnation: Without public engagement analytics, creators “fly blind.” They cannot tell if their work truly resonates or if they need to pivot to meet their audience’s needs.
• Algorithmic erasure: Content providers need hard data to satisfy sponsors and publishers. As noted by The Verge, when public engagement drops, platforms assume the content is irrelevant. Algorithms then stop surfacing that creator’s work to new audiences, effectively silencing them.

A call to digital action

Solving this requires a shift in how we support the creators we admire.

• For the user: Understand that a “Like” is a vital data point. If you find value in content, take a second to engage publicly before sharing it privately.
• For the platform: Social media giants must develop more sophisticated attribution models to help creators track “saves” and private shares more accurately.
• For the creator: Build a community that understands the importance of visible support. Transparency about how these metrics affect your work can educate an audience that may not realize they are “ghosting” you.

The digital landscape relies on a social contract: we provide attention, and creators provide value. When we hide our appreciation in private chatboxes, we break that contract. If we continue to engage without leaving a trace, the best content may simply stop being made. We have a problem, but the solution is as simple as clicking a button before you hit “Send.”

Written by: Nerina Rosli

*Meme was AI-generated.