WTF Is ‘LinkedIn Envy’?
In a recent Reddit post asking “What’s something almost all are clearly faking but no one will admit it?” one of the answers that rose to the top was “LinkedIn.”
It clearly hit a nerve with a lot of people, judging by the responses. Among the more creative replies parodying the professional networking platform:
“I’m excited to announce that I’ve been recognized as King of the Known Universe. In this new role, I’ll be leveraging my incredible awesomeness and intolerance of all things mediocre, to be the best at everything in the world ever.”
“I just watched a junkie OD on the subway. This is what it taught me about enterprise cloud storage.”
“My mother fell down the stairs and died. Here’s what it taught me about business.”
Others were less tongue-in-cheek, more direct:
“I hate it with the fire of a thousand songs.”
“LinkedIn is the world’s biggest circle jerk. Eventually, it will just lean into it and become a porn site. No one, ever, in history was excited to attend the XYZ conference.”
“LinkedIn is the worst. I’m in an industry and role where I should be constantly posting to it, but I just can’t bring myself to do it. It’s such an insufferable corporate circle jerk, with people trying to constantly one-up each other with increasingly ‘provocative’ pieces of ‘thought leadership.’”
The complaint in a nutshell: that LinkedIn has devolved from a digital Rolodex into a relentless, cringey parade of promotions and humble brags.
What is ‘LinkedIn envy?’
“LinkedIn envy” is that sinking feeling while scrolling your feed that you haven’t accomplished professionally what you should have by now, and that everybody else is doing better — and it is content that some workplace experts say could be quietly crushing our self-confidence.
Alex Lovell, director of research at O.C. Tanner, a provider of employee recognition and workplace culture solutions, sees Gen Z and millennial workers in particular treating LinkedIn like “a public leaderboard for professional success” — one against which we end up judging ourselves rather than celebrating others’ accomplishments.
Margaret Buj, principal recruiter at sales engagement platform Mixmax and a LinkedIn “Top Voice,” with more than 43,000 followers, describes the site as “a curated feed of professional ‘success theater.’” Even as a devoted user, she suggests that endless scrolling through career wins can trigger self-doubt, imposter syndrome and burnout — especially among younger workers.
Catherine Fisher, in-house career expert at LinkedIn, sees a different dynamic at play. As a digital-first generation, “Gen Z knows ‘doom scrolling’ is something they actively want to avoid,” she said. Many younger users take a more intentional approach, she points out, using LinkedIn to follow inspiring work, stay current on skills and expand their networks.
Worse than Facebook?
Unlike Facebook posts about a family vacation or Instagram shots of fashion or food, LinkedIn hits where it really hurts — one’s livelihood. “Professional comparisons cut deeper because they tap into core values: accountability, work ethic, creativity — the things people pride themselves on,” Lovell said. When someone sees yet another promotion announcement, they begin to question their entire professional worth, he suggests.
Steve Taplin, CEO of Sonatafy Technology and another active LinkedIn user, with more than 28,000 followers, believes the site merely exposes a deeper problem: “We’ve created a workplace culture where vulnerability is still treated like a weakness.”
The comparison trap worsens because often the most popular posts are those that happen to feature the biggest success stories. People aren’t just comparing themselves to colleagues anymore — they’re measuring against hundreds of curated professional highlights.
Fisher notes a countertrend, meanwhile: many Gen Zers “leaning into and even leading conversations on LinkedIn, often opening up on authentic, vulnerable topics.” She mentions by way of example creator and “Top Voice” Megan Lieu (185,000+ followers) and creator and author Gigi Robinson (30,000+ followers).
Positives vs. negatives
LinkedIn users are quick to point to the platform’s benefits. “What if stories about professional wins actually inspire people and motivate them that such wins are possible?” asks storytelling coach Amanda Hirsch.
Meanwhile, career coach Phoebe Galvin argues that comparison is more about human instinct than any social platform, commenting, “LinkedIn happens to be where we compare our careers because it literally exists to be a professional portfolio.”
LinkedIn’s Fisher emphasizes that the impact depends on the individual user’s approach. She recommends using the “X” button to hide content from people whose posts consistently trigger negative feelings, as well as following individuals who provide “helpful advice, real talk and inspiration you can actually use,” and engaging with other users via likes and comments as “a low-pressure way to join the conversation.”
Comparing is despairing
The bigger issue may not be a social platform but, rather, creating workplaces where people feel secure in their contributions. As Buj puts it: “Someone else’s highlight reel doesn’t invalidate your progress. Careers aren’t a race—they’re a personal path.”
LinkedIn’s Fisher offers that your feed “should leave you feeling informed, connected and maybe even a little excited about what’s next — not like you’re behind. A few small tweaks, a mindset shift and a dash of curiosity can completely change the way LinkedIn shows up in your life.”
The bottom line, according to Lovell: “We can create cultures where people feel seen, valued and secure in what they bring to the table. When that happens, employees are far less likely to measure their worth against someone else’s highlight reel.”