Tokyo is the New Paris and LinkedIn is the New Facebook
LinkedIn: The New Facebook?
The abuse of LinkedIn has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, I could not stop but writing an entire article on this. With its thousand of users exploiting the platform everyday for their purposes beyond professional networking, LinkedIn has evolved to something different than its original purpose.
Originaly began as a platform designed for professionals to connect, share industry insights, and advance their careers, it has evolved over time. While it still serves as a valuable tool for professional networking, LinkedIn has also become a space where users engage in casual content sharing, personal branding, and self-promotion. This shift in usage patterns has raised questions about the platform’s identity and purpose, prompting discussions about the appropriate balance between professionalism and informality on LinkedIn.
The medium story titles “How To Turn Your LinkedIn Into a Six-Figure Money-Making Machine” or “LinkedIn Will Help You Create Your Future Six-Figure Business” directly exemplify the transformation of LinkedIn into a platform solely focused on monetary gain. In those Medium stories they promote the idea that by leveraging LinkedIn effectively, you can effortlessly turn your profile into lucrative money-making machine, even capable of generating six-figure incomes. Lets say you never used LinkedIn in your life and never faced those posts on the platform, just the titles on Medium will make you think that LinkedIn is a platform for generating substantial income.
This article will underscore the growing trend of using LinkedIn not just for career advancement or networking, but as a primary means of financial success and entrepreneurship. I will help you understand How and Why it has shifted from its original purpose of professional networking to a tool for generating substantial income. I will delve into the history of the platform, aiming to understand the reasons behind this phenomenon and its current status.
How Tokyo’s Neon Lights Illuminate a New Trend
Behind the romanticized facade of Paris lies a hidden truth of cultural evolution and urban transformation, where traditional charm intermingles with modern challenges. While Paris captivates with its timeless elegance and historical significance, beneath the surface lies a city grappling with issues of gentrification, social inequality, and bureaucratic inefficiencies.
Reminiscent of the French capital’s allure with its vibrant neon lights, diverse culture, and avant-garde art scene, the parallels between the two cities, Tokyo an Paris become increasingly evident.
As Tokyo rises in prominence as the “New Paris” of the world, it’s ironic that LinkedIn, a platform originally designed for professional networking, is veering towards resembling Facebook in its usage patterns.
Much like Tokyo’s facade of neon glamour can sometimes mask a darker reality, hard conditions of work life and its problematic high portion of old generation, LinkedIn’s shift towards casual content sharing and self-promotion can obscure its original purpose as a tool for career advancement and professional connections.
Instead of engaging in meaningful discussions about industry trends or sharing valuable insights, some individuals have turned LinkedIn into a stage for self-promotion, shameless bragging, and attention-seeking behavior.
The platform has been flooded with posts boasting about personal achievements, humblebrags disguised as motivational messages, and thinly veiled attempts at soliciting likes and endorsements.
Only to make it worse, these habits seem to become more normalized each and every day. What’s more concerning is the normalization of this behavior and the proliferation of clickbait content designed to elicit engagement rather than foster genuine interaction.
Similar to Tokyo’s neon lights draw tourists with promises of excitement and spectacle, LinkedIn’s click-worthy headlines and sensationalized posts lure users into a digital realm where authenticity takes a backseat to virality.
In an environment where even the smallest task can be glorified as a monumental success, LinkedIn has become a realm where the lines between reality and what is portrayed blur, akin to the ambiguous territories found in cyberpunk culture of Tokyo city.
As Tokyo’s vibrant facade belies the complexities of its culture and society, LinkedIn’s glossy surface masks the underlying issues of authenticity and integrity in professional networking.
Social Media and Passive Income Culture
Lets start from the beginning and see how it has came to this point. First we need ot understand social media platfoms and motivation behind them. Understanding the historicaland social trajectory of these platforms sheds light on the complex interplay between digital technology, human behavior, and economic incentives in shaping our online experiences today.
Social Media Platforms like Facebook and Instagram have long been synonymous with personal connections, social networking, and sharing life updates. The emergence of these platforms, especialy with the rise of Facebook and later Instagram, catalyzed a new trend in passive income generation. Across these platforms, individuals began leveraging their online presence not only through paid advertisements but also through their organic posts, thereby transforming these platforms into avenues for wealth accumulation.
This shift in usage transcended the traditional concept of social networking, as users strategically curated their online personas to showcase a lifestyle of affluence and success. The allure of passive income streams, facilitated by the vast reach and engagement potential of social media platforms, incentivized users to monetize their digital footprint.
This trend also gave rise to a culture of exploitation, where individuals prioritized financial gain over genuine interaction and authenticity. As a result, platforms like Facebook and Instagram have become inundated with posts that are thinly veiled attempts at self-promotion, perpetuating an environment where the pursuit of wealth takes precedence over meaningful connection and contribution.
Digital Evolution and Emergence of LinkedIn
As digital landscapes evolve and cultural trends shift, a more professional and business-oriented platform has emerged: LinkedIn. Being founded in 2002 by group of enterpreneurs, LinkedIn began as a professional networking platform aimed at connecting professionals in various industries. Originally launched in Mountain View, California, LinkedIn quickly gained atraction as a valuable tool for career networking and recruitment.
Through strategic partnerships, acquisitions (finaly by Microsoft), and continuous innovation, LinkedIn expanded its user base and offerings, eventually becoming the world’s largest professional networking platform. With its hudreds of millions of users worldwide, it serves as a global hub for professionals seeking to connect, share insights, and advance their careers.
Hustle Culture
Hustle culture is when individuals or communities on social media prioritize constant productivity, relentless ambition, and the pursuit of success, often neglecting the importance of self-care, relaxation, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
As the the pervasive culture of “hustle culture” on social media platform glorified the pursuit of wealth and success at all costs, fostering an environment where individuals feel pressured to portray themselves as highly successful and affluent.
Today it’s not uncommon to see people using LinkedIn as if it were clickbait, with sensationalized titles that grab attention but may not accurately represent reality.
This shift reflects broader social trend, where the pursuit of status and material wealth is increasingly prioritized over genuine connection and authenticity.
The transformation of LinkedIn into the “New Facebook” reflects the superficiality and self-aggrandizement in online interactions.
LinkedIn has evolved into a stage where individuals not only seek to network and connect professionally but also strive to cultivate a carefully curated image of success and opulence.
Not only for earning money, LinkedIn has also transformed into a platform where individuals share personal information akin to Facebook, and seek help when encountering problems. It has increasingly become a space where users share personal anecdotes, milestones, and struggles. Users even turn to their LinkedIn connections for advice, support, and guidance on various personal and professional matters.
This shift in usage also reflects the blurring lines between professional and personal spheres on the platform. LinkedIn has evolved into a community where individuals seek empathy and assistance from their peers.
The Transformation Years
Different than the other platforms, the transformation of LinkedIn into a platform for become rich culture can be attributed to the escalating competition among professionals and the increasing desire of individuals to showcase their wealth.
As some silently observe, others stumble upon success stories almost every day. Those who aspire to portray even their mundane tasks as significant achievements have transformed the platform into a virtual podium akin to a post-race medal ceremony.
As the job market becomes more saturated and competitive, professionals feel compelled to stand out from the crowd.
This often leads to the embellishment of accomplishments and the flaunting of material possessions on LinkedIn profiles.
They feel us like we had to know their all kind of tiny little success. And if we want to know their previous achievements, all we need to look their activities section on their Linked pofile page. We don’t need to go searh for them, probably they already promoted it on the platform before.
While some overtly engage in this behavior, others adopt a subtler approach, subtly implying their success through nuances and presenting it as teamwork, suggesting that it is not their own but others’ success. They eagerly showcase their worthless certificates, desiring everyone to know and applause about their easya-to-get accomplishments.
On the other hand, companies, particularly their human resources departments, have utilized these shares as a means to motivate their employees, especially younger ones. When a new employee joins, companies insist on making public announcements, which were shared inside the company through email correspondences before. Oh, and they never forget to include a picture of the new hire’s welcome package. However, the silent majority prefers to ignore these displays, choosing to remain silent.
Once hailed as the professional networking site, LinkedIn is now facing scrutiny as it becomes increasingly akin to its more casual counterparts.
This transformation raised questions about the blurred lines between personal and professional spheres online, as well as the dangers of abusing platforms for self-promotion and never ending success validation.
This misuse of the platform, beyond its intended purpose, has not only affected the business world but has also become advantageous for political actors. Such divergent uses have significantly deviated the platform from its original intent, effectively turning it into a tool for political agendas. Particularly when intertwined with business interests, it has begun to transform into a propaganda machine especially during election seasons.
Consequences
The consequences of this trend are manifold. Genuine networking opportunities are overshadowed by a sea of noise, day by day making it difficult for professionals to connect with like-minded individuals and meaningful career opportunities.
The blurring of personal and professional boundaries on LinkedIn have detrimental effects on individuals’ reputations and credibility, as employers and colleagues alike may perceive excessive self-promotion as unprofessional or insincere.
Conclusion
As a conclusion, it’s essential to remember the original purpose of platforms like LinkedIn and strive to uphold professional standards of conduct, even in the age of AI. We need to seperate success from promotion and please remember; business is busines.
