I was quite an early adopter of LinkedIn – in fact I think I have a badge on my profile that suggests I was in their first million users – sounds a lot but if you think that kind of following is achieved in the blink of an eye these days.
I am not a fan of social media, as some of you reading this will know. My work as a governor in schools shows me the dark side of this medium and I am yet to find any clients that genuinely make money from it. Seemingly the only people that do profit from it are so called influencers and social media agencies, who charge you to post your own thoughts…! I maintain that the end of the World will begin with a teenager and a smart phone – it may have already happened.
So LinkedIn remains my one foray into the world of Social. I initially joked with Emma that it was Facebook for grown ups but recently is just seems to have become Facebook and so I am left wondering what the point of it is?
The Philosophers and Visionaries of LinkedIn
The first change that started to erode my faith in LinkedIn was the rash of philosophers and visionaries that invaded my feed. You know them, that group of people that get up a 3am, do a days work with their legs wrapped around their head in a yoga pose and making a million pound before the rest of us mere mortals have woken up. Those of us that get up after 7 are simply not worthy and will never achieve anything. They know how to market, sell, account, generate leads and even dabble in a bit of HR/legal on the side – because whilst they are the model we should all aspire to be, they are also the World’s best boss – an award they gave themselves without any democratic vote.
#worklifebalance
The next erosion came in the form of the ‘family time’ pics. Those self-congratulating posts that empty souls feel the need to share with the world to somehow convince themselves that they have got it spot on in the whole work life balance debate. ‘I took today off to walk the kids to school and pick them up and made soda bread during the day whilst tidying my shed #worklifebalance’.
What they of course fail to tell you is that the pallid grey of their complexion in the photo is brought about by the fact that they have been getting up at 5am every day for the last 30 years to commute to a job in London (centre of the universe for these people) and getting home at 8pm. It also fails to mention that they are unable to name the primary school or teacher that they had dropped their kids off to that morning. These empty vessels and their soulless existence is presented as aspiration for the rest of us. Good job Steve, we’re already looking forward to the next photo which will probably be when the kids graduate…..
Pushing the LinkedIn Boundaries
The final nail in the LinkedIn coffin has come in the form of those who enjoy living life precariously on the edge by swearing in their posts or changing their job title to something outlandish like ‘Insert wanky marketing title here’ was one such hilarious example I noticed recently. I know commercial life is slightly more relaxed now we all wear shorts to work and have a garden office, but is this really how people choose their business partners and suppliers these days…?
Of course, mentions should also go out to the ‘first time video in the front of my car’ crew, the ‘I’ve got millions of followers – so can call myself a keynote speaker or thought leader’ brigade and those that take 5 minutes out of their jam-packed schedule to make a video answering questions that have apparently been submitted by their vast followings.. really?
So I fear that LinkedIn has lost its edge and that is why I think I have become LinkedOut….
