As the summer ends, the LinkedIn wrap-up posting frenzy begins for Ohio University students and faculty. Even as our campus’s brightest “LinkedIn warriors,” those who frequently share professional content online, take to the site, many digital spaces seem more interested in the business of being interesting than in any real academic or social business at all.
A manager at my job once told me, “Aiden, comparison is the thief of joy.” She wasn’t wrong. In short terms, we must discover new ways to advocate for ourselves online while lifting up others as well.
In the United States, 30% of adults between the ages of 18 and 29 years old use professional apps like LinkedIn.
It’s possible to use LinkedIn and be academically independent. In all honesty, I use the platform; I use it quite a lot. However, a mentor once told me to post intentionally, showcasing outcomes over ordered steps.
It’s nice to see the events leading up to an accomplishment, but reevaluating how we post can create healthier and more intentional relationships with professional social media sites.
Think about the way a LinkedIn post is structured. The ideal length of a post is about 1,300 to 2,000 characters. In that time, users create a significant opportunity to share their personal and professional accomplishments. It’s a great tool to showcase those accomplishments to potential employers.
But being a LinkedIn warrior has its disadvantages too.
Imagine the same post multiplied by a person’s number of connections. Using the idea that the average LinkedIn user has around 500 followers, even a fraction of users posting about summer internships and recent job opportunities completely floods a person’s feed.
The frequency and intensity of posting is a critical part of the process. This not only impacts a person’s mental health, but it curates a rigid idea about what success looks like. More posts and images are shared online at greater frequencies, disrupting individuals’ sense of direction in their own lives.
Although social media sites like LinkedIn can be beneficial for receiving future jobs, internships and opportunities, it is important to balance fulfilling tasks and social media updates.
Athens is far from a rat race with individuals scurrying to the top. Instead, Athens contains a diverse area of dedicated professionals, each one on a unique path, who ultimately collaborate to create new work, art and movements.
This sense of comparison is manufactured, driving views on sites that are passive at best. It’s important to acknowledge personal accomplishments too, especially when it comes to local involvement.
There are multiple opportunities to do this while meeting new people and growing personal connections in the process. For example, there are countless student organizations at OU that are focused on any interest that a student could think of.
From athletic groups to environmental activism, OU student organizations are a great way to avoid digital social comparisons and celebrate others in a casual setting. If you’re not sure where to start, OU offers a quiz that could help you better determine where to head this involvement sign-up season.
Some of those groups are involved outside of campus too, making it easier to explore Athens County. Consider the Center for Community Impact, which offers volunteer and internship opportunities to build lasting sustainable change in the surrounding region. On Aug. 22, for example, the center will work with local partners to complete the Hocking River Sweep, which cleans up trash along the Hocking River within Athens city limits.
Make no mistake, our need to share stories and accomplishments with others is a part of our humanity. However, social media easily exploits this need, creating comparisons where there were none before; it conflates our sense of self-worth with comments and likes.
We all do challenging things, and the idea that someone is more or less capable than another student cannot be true. LinkedIn exists for a purpose, but it is up to us to determine what that purpose is and how frequently we interact with it.
In the coming months, we must solidly steer the ship of our own academic journey before we measure ourselves by other means.
The final wrap-up doesn’t have to be a battle, fellow LinkedIn warriors. By engaging in intentional posting about opportunities that serve our interests, we all can empower ourselves while celebrating others’ work online.
Aiden is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Aiden about his column? Email him at ar260223@ohio.edu.
