The double-edged sword of online professional networking
By Ojima Appiah
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Have you ever found yourself scrolling through your LinkedIn feed, only to stumble upon a post that left you feeling both excited and slightly uneasy? You're not alone; countless of us, especially in the digital age, have experienced the fascinating but often tricky dance with social media's impact on our thoughts and actions.
Dive into our latest article by Ojima Appiah, where she unravels the intriguing ways LinkedIn introduces "offline" expectations into the online realm, shaping our behaviors and perceptions. From celebrating achievements to navigating the web of societal pressures, we explore how these online spaces influence our lives.
From likes to longings: LinkedIn's unseen pressures
I'm standing at a bus stop in the UK on a cold morning eagerly awaiting the arrival of my bus. To pass the time, I decide to log in to my LinkedIn account to see what's new. As I scroll through my feed, I learn that an acquaintance has been accepted into a prestigious academic programme at a top UK university. I stop scrolling and take a few minutes to process what I have just read. Suddenly, I feel a surge of emotions overcome me. It's an uncomfortable feeling. Even though I am happy for her, I can't stop the feeling.
“That could be me,” I say to myself.
“I am just as smart and equally as qualified…”
I, like many Africans, have experienced first-hand the effects social media can have on our psyche, behaviour and actions as young people living in a digital era.
The reality is that social media has imposed certain societal expectations that we knowingly or subconsciously subscribe to.
With the advent of social media platforms like LinkedIn, we see how “social constructs” that are formed offline, migrate online (in some cases vice versa), where they are continually reinforced in these online spaces. Because most of us spend a significant amount of time online - with the average social media user spending an estimated 1.72 hours per day on social networking platforms – roughly 28% of all online activity, these spaces are becoming strong agents of socialisation- influencing our feelings, behaviour and dictating our actions. The more we observe our peers do or say something that the broader society considers “agreeable” the more likely we are to do or want the same. Once these ideas built around prevalent social constructs are solidified in our minds, we seldom question their origin or authenticity.
The “LinkedIn Effect”
Launched in 2003, LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional social networking site. Designed to “help people make business connections, share their experiences and find jobs”, the site has seen slow but steady growth in recent years. Currently, LinkedIn boasts an estimated 800 million users in more than 200 countries, with millennials accounting for most of its audience. Because LinkedIn is considered the “most trusted social network”- 72% of full-time employees have a LinkedIn profile” - a high percentage of young professionals are increasingly turning to the site for their career and professional networking needs. With users spending an average of “7 minutes and 12 seconds on LinkedIn”, these digital platforms will significantly shape us, and impact how we choose to live our lives in a digital era.
LinkedIn has enhanced our lives for the better – playing a vital role in career development, bringing together virtual communities with similar shared values and professional networking aspirations.
Despite its social capital benefits, LinkedIn has come under scrutiny for its impact on mental health and well-being. Although LinkedIn has largely been excluded from the conversation on the pressures of social media, research shows the platform also has profound negative effects on users. In a study conducted on the effects of professional social networking and emotional distress, researchers found that those who used LinkedIn once a week had a higher chance of depression and anxiety.
Anecdotal evidence also suggests using LinkedIn can be just as harmful to mental health as other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Increasingly, LinkedIn users are measuring their value based on what their peers are doing. Gloria Coulanges, a young black professional and writer on Medium, describes how the platform caused her to “unknowingly…base her value as a professional on what was happening on LinkedIn”. She notes that “every time I logged on, my expectations were so high that I couldn’t help but be disappointed when all I would see was everyone around me succeeding or securing their dream job, while I continued to struggle”.
In a poll conducted by a LinkedIn user, people were asked if they think LinkedIn has become toxic for many, of the 150 people who took the poll, 81% voted in the affirmative.
LinkedIn has particularly been criticised for promoting a culture of “toxic productivity”, “cut-throat competition”, and the “glorification of hustle culture”.
On LinkedIn, posts by productivity gurus and self-promoting workaholics, sharing hyper-productivity strategies are ubiquitous. As one user of LinkedIn explains, these posts are devoid of contextual realities because people must balance competing demands - i.e., family and well-being. In many respects, behaviours on LinkedIn lend themselves to a blatant “disregard for healthy work ethic and conversations on mental health”.
Some observers have referred to LinkedIn as “Facebook in a suit” – due to the ostentatious self-congratulatory posture (using professional descriptors) that has come to characterise the platform. Because LinkedIn purports the notion that “everyone is doing better than you”, this can lead to cut-throat competition and imposter syndrome- particularly when users experience feelings of inadequacy, driven by social comparison. In the words of a commentator, “…The hustle culture is very visible on the platform and it is quite hard not to get sucked into”.
Intensified by the amalgamation of all our professional networks on one digital platform, the effects of LinkedIn can be overwhelming and even triggering for some users. Users of LinkedIn often experience information overload – due to access to an excessive amount of daily information on the lives and achievements of peers. This information creates undue pressure, relaying a false sense of urgency regarding timelines for personal achievements. The sheer volume of information provided on LinkedIn, though a snapshot of reality, creates a false sense of expectation and amplifies what we have come to expect of ourselves.
Evidence shows that frequent use of LinkedIn may distort reality because important nuances on the specifics of achievements are often excluded from the narrative - does the job come at a cost to one’s mental health and general well-being? This can create a false illusion, with the downside being that users experience a myriad of negative emotions, due to unnecessary social media pressures. Albeit there is some useful information on LinkedIn. i.e., why hiring managers should provide feedback to unsuccessful job candidates etc. These posts are the exception – not as readily reshared or reposted - and rarely affect users in the same way.
Towards an effective use of social media in a digital world.
Despite its drawbacks, social media remains an instrumental aspect of our lives. We must therefore navigate these online spaces with tact, to reap the benefits and avoid (for the most part) the harmful effects of social media.
It is therefore important for users to keep this in mind and limit the amount of time spent on these platforms. The Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology recommends users spend no more than 30 minutes a day across all social media platforms - the average person has 3 or more social media apps and switches between the various apps, several times a day.
It is also advisable to limit social media use to certain times of the day – when you are less likely to get overwhelmed by what you see online. Furthermore, turn off your notifications to avoid unnecessary distractions. A “digital detox” is also recommended where possible, to alleviate the social pressures that come with the use of social media.
Be mindful of the information that triggers you and curate your feed accordingly- to choose the type of content you consume. Consider unfollowing or muting accounts that elicit feelings of inadequacy etc.
Lastly, be conscious of the fact that social media is a snapshot of reality. Most users present the best version of themselves to impress their network and improve their chances of attaining better opportunities. With this in mind, be mindful of what you let impact your mental health and general well-being.
Ojima Appiah is a political scientist, freelance writer, and founder of Writings of an African Bohemian, a blog she says was born out of a need to unpack discussions we hold at our dinner tables covering a myriad of topics including race, culture and feminism.
Ojima has lived in different parts of the world, something that has shaped her world view and informs her writing. She has notably worked at the Henry Jackson Society, focusing on radicalisation, and countering violent extremism in the online world.
You can connect with her on Twitter @BohemianAfrican and Instagram @the_african_bohemian