LinkedIn has experienced a notable transformation, and it's not just you who has observed this shift. The platform has taken an intriguing turn in recent times, becoming a place where the line between personal and professional lives has blurred significantly.
Key takeaways about exploring the transformative power of LinkedIn
- LinkedIn has evolved into a platform where personal and professional boundaries are blurred.
- Matthew Sciannella shared his divorce experience on LinkedIn, prompting varied responses.
- LinkedIn now hosts personal and unconventional content alongside professional content.
- Peter Rota shared his struggle with social anxiety on LinkedIn in 2022.
- The COVID-19 pandemic influenced greater personal sharing on professional platforms.
- LinkedIn is popular for content sharing compared to other social media.
- John Hickey created @BestOfLinkedIn to mock self-promotion on LinkedIn.
- @BestOfLinkedIn gained popularity, leading to other similar accounts and a Reddit community.
- Hickey featured Matthew Sciannella's post, which led to consequences.
- Oversharing on LinkedIn can have implications for one's career.
Matthew Sciannella, a marketing executive in the Washington, DC area, found himself navigating a difficult divorce after a 12-year marriage. Amid this challenging personal chapter, he made a conscious decision to share his experiences with his LinkedIn network, which consisted of thousands of professional connections. He candidly announced, "I'm getting a divorce. God it sucks to write that," and explained his reasoning behind sharing such personal news on a platform typically focused on professional endeavors. Sciannella saw LinkedIn as more than just a place for professional networking; it had become a space where he felt comfortable being his authentic self-amidst his peers.
The response to Sciannella's post was a mixed bag. It garnered thousands of reactions and hundreds of comments, with some offering support and encouragement, urging him to prioritize his family during this challenging time. However, criticism also emerged, as some questioned the appropriateness of sharing such personal details with colleagues, clients, and potential employers. In a surprising twist, an Instagram meme account, @BestOfLinkedIn, captured and mocked his post, sharing it with its extensive follower base. This incident sparked a whirlwind workplace drama, ultimately raising questions about what it truly means to maintain a "professional" image in the digital age.
LinkedIn's evolution into a unique social network cannot be ignored. With nearly a billion users as of July, it has joined the ranks of social media giants like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. What started as a platform primarily for online resumes has transformed into a space where users not only post more frequently but also share more personal and unconventional content.
Peter Rota, an SEO specialist from Massachusetts, exemplifies this shift. In August 2022, he divulged a personal struggle with social anxiety, specifically shy-bladder syndrome, which had affected his life for years. Rota contemplated canceling a planned trip to Europe with friends due to his condition. His decision to share this deeply personal experience on LinkedIn was driven by a broader trend toward personal sharing on the platform. Rota felt inspired by others who had shared their vulnerabilities, seeing it as an opportunity to confront his own demons and provide support to others facing similar challenges.
This surge in personal sharing on LinkedIn reflects broader changes in societal norms and the social media landscape. The COVID-19 pandemic played a significant role in reshaping attitudes toward the workplace and personal disclosure. Remote work blurred the boundaries between professional and personal life, encouraging individuals to open up about their fears and struggles in front of colleagues. A generational shift is also evident, with younger generations, particularly Gen Z, being more comfortable with sharing personal experiences on professional platforms.
LinkedIn, once an untapped platform for content sharing, has now become a hub for such posts. Users have noticed that their content often receives more engagement on LinkedIn compared to other social platforms, making it an attractive place to build their online presence.
Other social media platforms have faced declines in user engagement, while LinkedIn is becoming increasingly popular. Facebook has lost its appeal over the years, Twitter's fate is uncertain, and TikTok offers a different content format. Consequently, LinkedIn has emerged as a platform where people genuinely want to connect and share their thoughts.
In 2018, John Hickey, a tech sales professional from San Francisco, grew tired of the culture of self-promotion on LinkedIn. While aspiring to be a writer, he was surrounded by self-aggrandizing emails. In response, he began sharing posts on Twitter, exposing the most egregious examples of "LinkedInfluencers" and their shameless self-promotion, humblebrags, and questionable work-life balance advice. These posts quickly gained popularity, leading Hickey to create the meme page @BestOfLinkedIn, dedicated to lampooning the excesses of online professional culture.
@BestOfLinkedIn gained tens of thousands of followers on Twitter and Instagram, with users from various networks sending Hickey examples of questionable posts from their connections. It unwittingly became a prominent figure in the internet's peculiar and low-stakes culture war.
Hickey used the pseudonymous account to poke fun at various LinkedIn users, including a CEO who shared a crying selfie after laying off employees and another user who continued checking LinkedIn while grieving her father's death. The account's success led to the emergence of larger accounts like State Of LinkedIn and a thriving Reddit community known as "LinkedIn Lunatics."
However, Hickey's meme account also brought unforeseen consequences. When he featured a post by Matthew Sciannella about his divorce, it triggered a series of events. Sciannella's boss contacted Hickey's employer, expressing concern about Hickey's actions on LinkedIn. Although Hickey had initially been hired for his copywriting job due to his online presence, the call from Sciannella's boss created tension. While the situation didn't result in Hickey's termination, it highlighted the complexities of navigating LinkedIn's shifting landscape.
While Hickey's experience was an outlier, it raised questions about the implications of aggressively posting on LinkedIn for one's career. John Reid, a creative director in the Bay Area, viewed oversharing on the platform as potentially problematic, indicating a lack of understanding of professional boundaries and judgment.
Reid's perspective was influenced by a phone call he received from Jon Franko, who was outraged by Hickey's meme account mocking an employee at Franko's marketing firm, Matthew Sciannella. Although Franko did not demand Hickey's termination, Reid perceived it as a veiled threat. He believed that Sciannella's willingness to share personal posts clashed with his reaction to Hickey's meme, prompting Reid to assert that those who choose to be in the public eye must be prepared for scrutiny.
Joseph Yeh, a tech recruiter in California and former LinkedIn employee, emphasized the importance of striking a balance when posting on the platform. Engaging with one's network and staying relevant can be advantageous, but posting the wrong content may have the opposite effect. What is deemed acceptable on LinkedIn varies depending on industry norms, and presenting oneself professionally remains essential.
LinkedIn's editorial chief, Daniel Roth, emphasized the platform's shift toward prioritizing "knowledge" content over self-promotion. While the COVID-19 pandemic led to increased personal sharing, LinkedIn aims to maintain a balance between professional and personal aspects. The new norm allows individuals to express their humanity alongside their professional identities.
Matthew Sciannella's experience ultimately did not escalate further, and he continued to share updates on his work and career with his LinkedIn followers. John Hickey, on the other hand, reduced his LinkedIn activity, focusing more on his meme account.
In conclusion, LinkedIn has undergone a significant transformation, becoming a platform where personal and professional boundaries are increasingly blurred. Users are more open to sharing personal experiences, reflecting broader societal shifts and changes in social media dynamics. However, the line between appropriate and inappropriate content remains subjective, and LinkedIn continues to evolve its approach to content moderation.
By: Rob Price
September 25, 2023
This content was originally posted on this link.
