LinkedIn. What is it and why has it been popping up more and more over the last few years?
LinkedIn is the “world’s largest professional network.” It is used to connect people professionally through jobs or internships, or even help people with advice and skills they need to succeed in their careers or life.
But recently, the platform has started to feel different.
Much like Instagram, users now post on LinkedIn daily, where they can share updates, accomplishments, personal stories and more. Samantha Jevons explained what used to be a digital resume has now turned into something closer to a social media feed.
“[LinkedIn’s] definitely gotten a lot more popular, and honestly kind of overwhelming. It reminds me a lot of Instagram,” Hallie Nave, junior business administration student from Southern New Hampshire University said. “People are posting all the time and curating their lives, just in a more professional way.”
As LinkedIn becomes more popular, the similarities between it and Instagram become harder to ignore. The platform encourages users to post often, resulting in a lot more engagement. Instead of sharing photos of daily life, users can post about professional achievements. However, they’re still carefully presenting themselves to others that follow them or may find them through their feed.
“Lately I’ve started feeling like the LinkedIn space has evoked a feeling of pressure to post, the way Instagram does, when you see everyone posting about their achievements and pursuing their goals and you’re just stuck comparing,” junior criminology and criminal justice Ava Dayanzadeh said in a text message. “I start feeling like the two feel about the same.”
For many students, a constant feed of updates can create a sense of comparison. Seeing others post about internship opportunities, job offers and other accomplishments, can make others feel like they aren’t doing as good as they should be.
The rise of LinkedIn as a more social platform also speaks to the way networking is evolving. Rather than relying solely on in-person connections, students and professionals can now make relationships, impressions and be noticed by others in faster ways.
As LinkedIn continues to evolve, it’s evident that the platform is no longer just about finding a job, but also about being seen by as many people as possible. It forces users to navigate between where professionalism ends and social media starts.