Not Another LinkedIn Flex

LinkedIn is the forgotten child of social media. You don’t think about it for weeks, maybe even months, and then suddenly you log in and boom; someone just landed their dream internship while you’re still trying to figure out how to survive another semester. Unlike Instagram, which is for aesthetics, or TikTok, which is for memes, LinkedIn feels like that one relative who keeps asking, “So, what are you doing with your life?”

And honestly? It messes with your head.

I’ll be real. I’ve had entire nights where scrolling LinkedIn gave me the worst case of imposter syndrome. Everyone seems to be doing something bigger, better, shinier. One person is publishing a paper, someone else already has a career plan mapped out, and another is casually “thrilled to announce” their third internship of the year.

Of course, I’m happy for them. But somewhere deep down, a tiny voice goes, “Should I be doing more? Am I already behind?”

College already feels like running a marathon. Classes, exams, internships, networking, all while just trying not to crash and burn. Then LinkedIn piles on with its silent pressure. It whispers, “Move faster. Achieve more. Don’t fall behind.”

While you’re lost in that confusion, the hardest part is sitting with the uncertainty. I keep wondering if the choices I’m making now will actually be ‘enough’ later. Should I chase the same opportunities everyone else is chasing or should I risk going down my own different, less structured path? People give advice, and sure, it makes sense but the confusion, it still lingers.

And here’s what makes it worse: LinkedIn isn’t real life. It’s the highlight reel. Nobody posts the rejections, the stress cries, the nights they almost gave up. But when you’re scrolling at midnight, all you see are shiny wins stacked on top of each other and it’s so easy to forget the mess behind the scenes.

I’ve been there, refreshing LinkedIn, comparing myself to every single person on my feed, stressing about why I haven’t figured out my ‘dream path’ yet and it’s exhausting.

But here’s the truth I keep coming back to (and maybe you need to hear this too): your story doesn’t have to look like theirs to be valid. It’s okay if you don’t have a shiny announcement every semester. It’s okay if your path is slower, messier, or just different altogether.

Because growth doesn’t always show up in a viral post. It’s in the late-night study sessions, the scary emails you finally hit send on, the courage to apply even when you’re sure you’ll be rejected. The small stuff counts too, even if no one “likes” it.

The shift for me was using LinkedIn differently. Instead of treating it like a scoreboard, I started treating it like a resource. If someone’s achievement inspired me, I reached out. If I saw someone doing something good, I asked them about it. And slowly, comparison turned into curiosity.

Not “Why am I not there yet?” but “What can I learn from this?”

So yeah, LinkedIn might forever be that forgotten child we reluctantly log into, but it doesn’t have to be the villain in our stories. Your journey is still yours, even if it isn’t full of flashy posts right now. Progress doesn’t always need a “grateful to announce” caption. Sometimes, it just needs you to keep going.

Comparison is loud, but your journey doesn’t need to be. Write it at your own pace, the flex will come.

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• academics
• achievments
• college
• linkedin
• social media