This might be true, but I suspect it's a knock-on effect of a known way to make writing more engaging: using active sentences (with an actual verb denoting acti

This might be true, but I suspect it's a knock-on effect of a known way to make writing more engaging: using active sentences (with an actual verb denoting action) instead of a passive sentences, which use a form of "to be" (is, are, etc.) as the verb. Often, when writing active sentences, you realize that you need a subject. Often, that subject is... "you". TL;DR: don't write crappy, boring, passive sentences, and people will read more of what you write!