glossary

the invisible system that decides who sees your content and who doesn't. part math, part mystery, part reason your best post got 3 likes.

an expression of approval for someone who speaks their mind authentically, regardless of popular opinion. the opposite of being swayed by what others think.

a person who spends so much time on the internet that their worldview, vocabulary, and reference points are predominantly shaped by online culture and discourse.

a block of text that gets copied and pasted across the internet, spreading through sheer repetition and absurdity. the chain letter of the social media age.

the sanitized, buzzword-laden language used by corporate social media accounts that makes everyone want to unfollow immediately.

the compulsive act of endlessly scrolling through negative news or content, unable to stop despite it making you feel worse. the internet's most popular form of self-harm.

content specifically designed to manipulate people into interacting through comments, likes, or shares. the fast food of posting. satisfying in the moment, empty afterward.

the first line of a post that determines whether anyone reads the rest. you have one second. this is your one second.

a bold, often controversial opinion shared publicly, typically designed to provoke reactions. quality varies wildly from "spicy and insightful" to "lukewarm dressed as edgy."

a statement disguised as self-deprecation or complaint that's actually a flex. linkedin's unofficial language.

L means loss (failure, bad take, embarrassment). W means win (success, good take, achievement). the binary scoring system of the internet.

the tendency to post or behave as if 8 billion people are watching your personal story unfold, treating everyday moments as dramatic narrative beats.

a one-sided relationship where one person feels emotionally connected to someone who doesn't know they exist. the foundation of the creator economy.

content deliberately designed to make people angry enough to engage. weaponized outrage for algorithmic gain.

when a reply or quote tweet gets significantly more engagement than the original post, typically indicating the internet has collectively decided the original take was bad.

when a platform silently reduces your content's visibility without telling you. you're posting into the void, and the void isn't even listening.

a deliberately low-effort, absurd, or ironic piece of content posted for humor, provocation, or chaos. often disguises genuine insight under layers of absurdity.

a suggestion (usually sarcastic) that someone has been online too long and should go outside and reconnect with reality.

a posting style characterized by wild, stream-of-consciousness energy that makes readers question if the poster is okay. usually complimentary in content creation circles.