LinkedIn, the platform that makes you wonder if networking is just corporate-speak for “scrolling through cringe posts,” continues to dominate the professional world despite a user experience that feels like punishment for wanting a career.
Picture this: You share a post. Something thoughtful, maybe even profound, like “The best investment you can make is in yourself,” with a blurry stock image of a handshake. Boom. The notifications start pouring in. Thirty comments! Fifty! A hundred! You’re basically the Mark Twain of LinkedIn. But then, you check the post, and there they are: two comments at the top, with the rest locked away behind the “See More” button. It's like LinkedIn's cruelest invention, a digital cliffhanger that never resolves. It’s not just engagement—it’s ransom. My LinkedIn feed is 90% people announcing their 'passion projects' and 10% people complaining about how busy they are.
Experts (a term LinkedIn users love) agree: LinkedIn’s algorithm is less about logic and more about chaos. One day, your post about “redefining leadership” hits 10,000 views. The next, your heartfelt story about overcoming adversity gets seen by four people—three of whom are your relatives. It’s a professional networking platform where your career credibility hinges on whether the algorithm decides to sprinkle fairy dust on your post that day.
But let’s not forget the connection requests. Every day, your inbox floods with invitations from people whose job titles read like Mad Libs: "Synergistic Blockchain Evangelist" or "Growth Hacking Visionary for Disruptive AI Solutions." I once got a connection request from someone who listed their skills as 'Mindfulness, Reiki, and Excel Macros.' I still don't know what that means. What are they offering? Usually a pitch for an app that helps you streamline something you’ve never heard of or an invitation to their "exclusive" webinar—attendance: 3.
And yet, here we are, unable to quit. Because LinkedIn is the professional world’s necessary evil. It’s where recruiters lurk, endorsements fly, and people announce promotions with the same energy as winning the Nobel Prize. It’s the only place where someone will write “humbled and honored” while uploading a photo of themselves holding a giant trophy. LinkedIn: Where your professional brand is built on how many times you can use the words 'impact,' 'synergy,' and 'paradigm shift' in a single sentence.
So why do we put up with it? Because we have no choice. You can’t just not be on LinkedIn. That’s career suicide! It’s like showing up to a job interview without pants—it’s technically possible, but nobody’s going to take you seriously.
For now, LinkedIn remains both the scourge of our existence and the anchor of our professional lives. And until someone invents a better platform, we’re stuck here, liking posts we don’t care about, accepting requests from people we’ll never talk to, and scrolling through hidden comments like it’s a treasure hunt with no treasure. I've started muting keywords like 'pivot,' 'hustle,' and 'growth mindset.' My mental health thanks me.
Maybe one day, LinkedIn will evolve into a platform for genuine human connection. But until then, we’ll be here, sifting through the abyss—because maybe the real treasure is the irony we found along the way.
#LinkedInWoes #ProfessionalNetworkingHell #AlgorithmMadness #HiddenCommentsClub #NecessaryEvil
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About Tech Topics
Tech Topics is a newsletter with a focus on contemporary challenges and innovations in the workplace and the broader world of technology. Produced by Boston-based Conceptual Technology (http://www.conceptualtech.com), the articles explore various aspects of professional life, including workplace dynamics, evolving technological trends, job satisfaction, diversity and discrimination issues, and cybersecurity challenges. These themes reflect a keen interest in understanding and navigating the complexities of modern work environments and the ever-changing landscape of technology.
Tech Topics offers a multi-faceted view of the challenges and opportunities at the intersection of technology, work, and life. It prompts readers to think critically about how they interact with technology, both as professionals and as individuals. The publication encourages a holistic approach to understanding these challenges, emphasizing the need for balance, inclusivity, and sustainability in our rapidly changing world. As we navigate this landscape, the insights provided by these articles can serve as valuable guides in our quest to harmonize technology with the human experience.