TLDR; LinkedIn has an authenticity problem, and with AI today, I think it has become much worse and cringey!
LinkedIn is just another social media platform, designed to drive engagement and profit, while trying hard to present itself as a place for professional careers and networking.
But the difference between LinkedIn and other social media, is that in pretty much 99% of cases, a LinkedIn account is supposed to represent an actual person, despite that fake profiles exists, a LinkedIn account is expected to represent an actual employed or employer person.
This means the very same person who might be ranting about their colleagues and how much they hate going to office could be “Carolin, The Head of HR in Company X with more than 20 Years of Profesisonal Experience in Managing Human Resources and Creating a balanced and healthy Work environment”.
Because of that, almost everything shared on LinkedIn comes with a sense of being judged. You’re being watched by connections, colleagues, recruiters, and potential future employers. There’s constant pressure to look and sound your best, as if you’re attending the Oscars.
This creates a stage-like ambience, where everyone is performing a play. a play to look worthy and employable, to show intelligence and competence, to prove resilience and strength, to let everyone know one not only hasn’t surrendered to failure, but has learned from it and outgrown it. if you’d like to take a peek at what I’m talking about check out LinkedInLunatics sub reddit.
That’s pretty much nine out of ten posts on LinkedIn today: excessive humblebrags and recycled wisdom, very simple life ideas dressed up like corporate press releases. Add the obvious AI text generation patterns, and the content ends up miles away from any sense of genuineness or authenticity.
The reactions aren’t free from this problem either. A quick look at the comment sections shows people blindly agreeing with the author in the most hollow way. It makes me wonder whether they genuinely can’t see the ridiculousness of it all, or if this is simply the safest move: agree, engage, and stay visible under a high-engagement post.
Honestly, as someone who had been there before, I really feel for people who are using LinkedIn today to find a job. swimming through all these wake wisdom, and now AI-polished success stories can mess with your head.