Tania Zamorsky: Navigating the quiet tyranny of the LinkedIn ‘like’ – Chicago Tribune

We hate them for not liking our LinkedIn posts. Of course, not really. But who hasn’t refreshed their browser repeatedly to see how many likes their latest post has — or hasn’t — garnered, and from whom? While it’s not life or death, it isn’t pure ego either. With layoffs in the U.S. now reaching their highest levels since COVID-19, stakes and tensions are high. The site has become more than a networking tool; it’s a public scoreboard for professional potential, and even one like can make a difference. Low engagement can also trigger a cringey mix of self-consciousness, status anxiety and old social hierarchies ​w​e thought we’d outgrown. We note, but scan past, the loyal few who like everything we do. While we appreciate them, alas, the likes are always greener on the other side, and these can feel akin to taking our cousin to the dance. Intellectually, we get it: It often comes down to timing, feed-crowding or other algorithmic magic. We tell ourselves that what other people think of us is none of our business. Even that person from our professional past who pointedly likes all other mutual connections’ posts ​but ours. (This has itself turned into a
Read More