I also have love and hate relationship with Linkedin. And especially when I see how shallow content get recognition and followers, I immediately feel like I really donβt want to send cold DMs and pretend my companies millions in in income are result of my marketing strategy only (because THEY ARENβT). I feel you.
What do you meanβyou aren't single-handedly responsible for every positive outcome that has ever happened? π Are you "humbled" by the recognition of your peers?
Agreed, LinkedIn is now full of Millionaires who have come out of lifeβs darkest moments because they created a hook, turned their following from 1000 to 1 million in one year and are now living their best lives coaching others in their business and work one hour a day. Iβm waiting for the post were these people also have unicorn wings and can turn into Sailor Moon to save our planet from plastic pollutionβ¦..any day nowβ¦.
The benefits of social media only really favour the producer rather than the consumer. You have to be very strategic when it comes to consuming content, cause these algos are being designed to keep you on the app longer.
But even then, constantly having to post is turning the pursuit of social media influencing into a rat race. And a pretty bad one at that, it's a much worse deal than like most 9-5s. No ceiling on what you can make £££ wise isn't always a pro if income is irregular.
I like your approach to secure a job and continue to build online on the side. I think that's the best of both words, and it's what I'm looking to do as well. It's very hard to find something I can be consistent with when posting online. Might just become someone who posts quality on a ad hoc basis.
It's so common! It often happens when we don't set clear boundaries on what would be enough + how much we would want to make etc. Good to quantify these things at the start and mess around with them overtime.
Iβm not a fan of social media. Most of my doll pattern customers are on FB so I need to be on there. Iβm trying to be a bit consistent with posts and comments but my heart isnβt in it. Iβve thought of something I could post every day in notes but Iβm not sure I can keep it up. I am struggling with personally disliking social media but accepting that I need it to promote myself. I canβt help feeling that notes is just noise instead of seeing it as an opportunity to grow my following
So many important questions. I don't have the answers. But I agree with many of your observations. Social media wants constant attention and encourages us to spend all day every day creating and consuming. With no time left in the real world.
LinkedIn lost the plot during the pandemic. The feed has just gone downhill after that. While I understand the drive towards capitalising on the creator economy, what used to be the most useful and sane social platform just dug its own grave.
Not to mention, I could have written this comment earlier, but I had to stop on my way to a job interview to sew clothes for a charity. But, I found my hiring manager there helping out too, so I got hired. π
Oh haha π€¦ββοΈ nope, I missed it, so thanks for clarifying!
Yeah, LinkedIn is full of that nowadays.
The more a platform encourages wearing a façade, the less appealing it is to me.
The reason I liked LinkedIn in the first place was that it wasn't anonymous. It felt like the platform that might have the most authenticity and accountability.
But then everyone started behaving in a certain way.
Made-up employment struggle stories used to be a popular trope in LinkedIn posts back in the day, until it became jaded. Not sure if itβs still relevant. God, did I just embarrass myself. π₯²
Love this quote βIf you donβt quit, you canβt lose.β. Yeah, it certainly helps when you have a wage coming in. Robs you of time, but keeps the wolves from the door. Once your newsletter is earning its keep, you can then re-evaluate your situation.
I can see the benefit of social media, like keeping up with friends and family over the globe, or connecting with like minded individuals. But the downside is v big too - the endless doom scrolling and dopamine frying. As for LinkedIn, it feels like fb nowadays; people posting about getting married or deeply personal stuff like illness. While I get the personal touch rather than displaying your CV, I also feel it's purely to grasp attention 99.9% of times. It's rare that I see a post which I find useful or interesting, they tend to be recycled posts over and over again. Over the months I've significantly cut down on social media, check instagram every now and then or the occasional Twitter but that's it. I've also deleted the mobile versions so naturally I do not feel the need to go as much and it's only when I am on my personal laptop.
That being said, I think they're indeed needed at times, especially when it comes to promoting one's work! Just like Notes are here on Substack.
I faced similar challenges with LinkedIn, but now I'm able to do what I love without feeling like it's work all the time. This was very insightful and helpful!
I am building a supportive community that motivates me to create content. Planning and executing things is challenging sometimes, but I enjoy improving my writing skills through interactions with people.
I can relate to the up and down relationship with social media π€£.
Iβm consistently inconsistent with βbeing socialβ on social media. It overwhelms my brain.
Even Notes here has teetered that line for me already.
But I do keep it for reasons like others have stated. Using it when I need it.
Good luck on your journey!
Like you said, the door swings both ways and if you ever need a LinkedIn profile to get a job (doesnβt mean you have to be social on the platform!), itβs there for you. ππΏ
I also have love and hate relationship with Linkedin. And especially when I see how shallow content get recognition and followers, I immediately feel like I really donβt want to send cold DMs and pretend my companies millions in in income are result of my marketing strategy only (because THEY ARENβT). I feel you.
What do you meanβyou aren't single-handedly responsible for every positive outcome that has ever happened? π Are you "humbled" by the recognition of your peers?
I vomit when I read people saying that. Haha.
LOL
Agreed, LinkedIn is now full of Millionaires who have come out of lifeβs darkest moments because they created a hook, turned their following from 1000 to 1 million in one year and are now living their best lives coaching others in their business and work one hour a day. Iβm waiting for the post were these people also have unicorn wings and can turn into Sailor Moon to save our planet from plastic pollutionβ¦..any day nowβ¦.
I hate the selfies...
Seemingly overnight people started posting photos of themselves status signaling. Of course completely unrelated to the content they're posting.
Man, I respect your honesty and transparency so much.
Was a pleasure chatting with you and hope to do it again sometime!
The benefits of social media only really favour the producer rather than the consumer. You have to be very strategic when it comes to consuming content, cause these algos are being designed to keep you on the app longer.
But even then, constantly having to post is turning the pursuit of social media influencing into a rat race. And a pretty bad one at that, it's a much worse deal than like most 9-5s. No ceiling on what you can make £££ wise isn't always a pro if income is irregular.
I like your approach to secure a job and continue to build online on the side. I think that's the best of both words, and it's what I'm looking to do as well. It's very hard to find something I can be consistent with when posting online. Might just become someone who posts quality on a ad hoc basis.
I wouldn't mind irregularity of income if it were easy to maintain it above a certain floor π
But yeah, I'm learning what daily routines I'm willing to tolerate.
Loved this " it's a much worse deal than like most 9-5s. No ceiling on what you can make £££ wise isn't always a pro if income is irregular"
Reminds me of that saying - I gave up my 9 to 5, so I can work 24/7 instead.
It's so common! It often happens when we don't set clear boundaries on what would be enough + how much we would want to make etc. Good to quantify these things at the start and mess around with them overtime.
Yeah, in a past business, I wasn't so good with schedule boundaries.
Iβm not a fan of social media. Most of my doll pattern customers are on FB so I need to be on there. Iβm trying to be a bit consistent with posts and comments but my heart isnβt in it. Iβve thought of something I could post every day in notes but Iβm not sure I can keep it up. I am struggling with personally disliking social media but accepting that I need it to promote myself. I canβt help feeling that notes is just noise instead of seeing it as an opportunity to grow my following
It's a very delicate balance to master. I have yet to hear anyone say "I LOVE SPENDING HOURS ON INSTAGRAM"
β felt pressure to be there
β didn't feel like heart was in it
β felt like there was a lot of noise rather than something that improved my life
Definitely. All of that.
So many important questions. I don't have the answers. But I agree with many of your observations. Social media wants constant attention and encourages us to spend all day every day creating and consuming. With no time left in the real world.
One question I've asked myself in the past week has been:
What might my life look like if I took this quitting idea even further and reduced ALL device usage?
E.g. Social media has been my priority to minimize, but it might also be interesting to cap how many hours per day my phone is nearby.
And how many hours per day I'm at a computer.
As a (former?) software engineer, this could lead to a VERY different life.
I feel you so much with leaving social media platforms. I was reluctant for years to even join them!
The only thing I'm doing right now is twitter and most of it is automated.
And, I refuse to install any social media on my phone. Not going to happen. I enjoy being offline way too often.
Interested to see though what you encounter on your LinkedIn fast and fully focusing on Substack. The community here is refreshingly real.
Yeah apps on my phone were the easiest part to quit a while back.
I have a healthy fear of being addicted to anything negative in life.
I don't smoke, I almost never drink, etc.
I certainly don't want to mindlessly thumb through apps.
Removing all social media apps from my phone has been the best thing I've done for my mental health.
I'm so with you!
I feel so many people would profit from that too.
LinkedIn lost the plot during the pandemic. The feed has just gone downhill after that. While I understand the drive towards capitalising on the creator economy, what used to be the most useful and sane social platform just dug its own grave.
Not to mention, I could have written this comment earlier, but I had to stop on my way to a job interview to sew clothes for a charity. But, I found my hiring manager there helping out too, so I got hired. π
Whoa, what an amazing serendipity! I'm so happy for you! π
Iβm unsure of whether it got through so just to be safe - that was a joke, a LinkedIn post joke. π
Oh haha π€¦ββοΈ nope, I missed it, so thanks for clarifying!
Yeah, LinkedIn is full of that nowadays.
The more a platform encourages wearing a façade, the less appealing it is to me.
The reason I liked LinkedIn in the first place was that it wasn't anonymous. It felt like the platform that might have the most authenticity and accountability.
But then everyone started behaving in a certain way.
And the algorithms demoted everyone else.
Made-up employment struggle stories used to be a popular trope in LinkedIn posts back in the day, until it became jaded. Not sure if itβs still relevant. God, did I just embarrass myself. π₯²
We're on the same page π
Love this quote βIf you donβt quit, you canβt lose.β. Yeah, it certainly helps when you have a wage coming in. Robs you of time, but keeps the wolves from the door. Once your newsletter is earning its keep, you can then re-evaluate your situation.
"keeps the wolves from the door", yeah ππ
I can see the benefit of social media, like keeping up with friends and family over the globe, or connecting with like minded individuals. But the downside is v big too - the endless doom scrolling and dopamine frying. As for LinkedIn, it feels like fb nowadays; people posting about getting married or deeply personal stuff like illness. While I get the personal touch rather than displaying your CV, I also feel it's purely to grasp attention 99.9% of times. It's rare that I see a post which I find useful or interesting, they tend to be recycled posts over and over again. Over the months I've significantly cut down on social media, check instagram every now and then or the occasional Twitter but that's it. I've also deleted the mobile versions so naturally I do not feel the need to go as much and it's only when I am on my personal laptop.
That being said, I think they're indeed needed at times, especially when it comes to promoting one's work! Just like Notes are here on Substack.
I'm definitely nervous about what my career will be like without LinkedIn. We'll see.
I wasn't enjoying it anymore, so it's worth it to me to test what my life feels like without it.
I faced similar challenges with LinkedIn, but now I'm able to do what I love without feeling like it's work all the time. This was very insightful and helpful!
Cool, can you please elaborate on this?
> now I'm able to do what I love without feeling like it's work all the time
Of course.
I am building a supportive community that motivates me to create content. Planning and executing things is challenging sometimes, but I enjoy improving my writing skills through interactions with people.
I can relate to the up and down relationship with social media π€£.
Iβm consistently inconsistent with βbeing socialβ on social media. It overwhelms my brain.
Even Notes here has teetered that line for me already.
But I do keep it for reasons like others have stated. Using it when I need it.
Good luck on your journey!
Like you said, the door swings both ways and if you ever need a LinkedIn profile to get a job (doesnβt mean you have to be social on the platform!), itβs there for you. ππΏ
Thanks for these thoughts and encouragement π
> Even Notes here has teetered that line for me already.
Yeah, totally hear you.