In the last few weeks, at least 20 posts have popped up in my LinkedIn news feed from people griping about what other people choose to post. It’s bad enough that Facebook is full of posts dictating what does and does not belong, now this plague is spreading faster than a stomach virus at a daycare.
Amusingly, the proclamations of these Serious Business Professionals are usually riddled with typos and contain more goofy, inappropriate emojis than a text from a 12-year-old.
Welcome to the Internet!
Greetings, and welcome to the internet! You must be new here. This is a public space, and it’s safe to assume that the majority of people using LinkedIn are adults. This means they get to share whatever they damn well please, so long as it falls within the legal guidelines of the country they call home.
Some suggest the practice of others sharing personal updates on what is meant to be a professional site affects their own experience when using that site. Hey, here’s an idea! Why don’t you stop being such an asshat? Asserting yourself as the arbiter of what another adult may or may not share brings some pretty serious control issues to light.
Do I roll my eyes when I see a math problem my 6-year-old could solve circulating on LinkedIn? Absolutely. However, it’s less intrusive than fundraisers or farewell cards at the office. In fact, if you are the kind of person who gets lathered up about something you chose not to scroll past on LinkedIn, I’ll bet those farewell cards are a frequent occurrence in your department.
But wait! Aren’t you doing the same thing?
Indeed, I am! But because I am not an asshat, I’m actually going to contribute something useful to the discussion. If you find that your colleague, past or present, posts status updates that are not to your liking altogether too often, unfollow them:
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