Researchers confirm paragraph shrinkflation has reached the word “Wild.”
Pictured: nothing. The printout of the regional sales director’s post used more paper than words.
SUNNYVALE, CA—Citing a troubling decline in the amount of thought delivered per line break, consumer advocates warned Tuesday that LinkedIn posts have undergone significant “paragraph shrinkflation,” with the average paragraph now containing just 2.3 words while occupying the same vertical space as a 2019 paragraph.
“Five years ago, you’d get a full paragraph for your scroll. Topic sentence, supporting detail, maybe a conclusion,” said Dana Whitfield, a researcher at the Center for Digital Consumer Protection, holding up a printout of a recent post by a regional sales director. “Now look at this. ‘I got fired.’ Line break. ‘Best day of my life.’ Line break. ‘Here’s why.’ Line break. That’s three paragraphs. You’re paying full price in thumb movement and getting a fortune cookie.”
“You’re paying full price in thumb movement and getting a fortune cookie.”
According to the report, the standard LinkedIn paragraph has shrunk steadily from four sentences in 2018 to one sentence in 2021, then to a single clause, and, as of this quarter, to the word “Wild.” Researchers noted that many posts now contain more whitespace than text, a ratio previously seen only in poetry chapbooks and ransom notes.
“We’re also seeing the emergence of the zero-word paragraph,” Whitfield added, pointing to a post in which a founder had simply pressed Enter nine times before revealing that he had “learned more from failing than from succeeding.” “That’s not a pause for effect. That’s a pause for nothing.”
Industry insiders defended the practice, saying the reduced paragraph size reflects shifting consumer preferences.
“Today’s professional audience doesn’t want dense, bloated paragraphs,” said a LinkedIn spokesperson, speaking in a statement formatted as fourteen separate lines. “They want impact. They want vulnerability. They want to click ‘see more’ and discover that the rest of the post is a single emoji of a rocket.”
The report also found that many posters have attempted to disguise the shrinking content with added packaging, including bolded opening hooks, numbered lists of lessons learned from a toddler, and the phrase “Let that sink in,” which researchers determined appears in 38% of posts despite nothing in those posts being substantial enough to sink.
At press time, LinkedIn users confirmed they had begun noticing the problem themselves, with one marketing manager posting a lengthy reflection on the issue that read, in its entirety:
“Paragraphs are getting shorter.
And honestly?
That’s leadership.”
The post had received 14,000 reactions.