I have a question for LinkedIn.
Why is everyone so thrilled?
Seriously.
Every time I open the app, somebody is thrilled.
Thrilled to announce.
Thrilled to share.
Thrilled to embark.
Thrilled to begin.
Thrilled to have been selected.
Thrilled to have completed.
Thrilled to announce that they have joined a company as an intern.
At this point, I am beginning to suspect that LinkedIn is not a professional networking platform. It is a support group for people who are permanently excited.
Nobody is simply happy anymore.
You got a job?
You are thrilled.
You completed an internship?
You are deeply honoured.
You attended a conference?
You are excited to have had the opportunity.
You were invited to speak for seven minutes at an event?
You are humbled and grateful to have shared insights.
Please.
You were given a microphone.
And somehow, every announcement has become a “new chapter.”
You didn’t get a job.
You embarked on a new chapter in your professional journey.
You didn’t change departments.
You embraced an exciting new opportunity.
You didn’t finish your internship.
You successfully completed a transformative learning experience.
You didn’t receive a certificate.
You were honoured to be recognised for your commitment and dedication.
LinkedIn has made ordinary human experiences sound like presidential addresses.
And the comments are even better.
“Congratulations!”
“Deserved!”
“Many more wins!”
“Greater heights!”
“Keep soaring!”
“Congratulations on this well-deserved milestone.”
Sometimes I look at the post and wonder whether everyone actually knows this person.
Because the person has written, “I am excited to announce that I have joined XYZ Company as an Administrative Assistant.”
And somebody from three years ago comments:
“This is just the beginning. The sky is not the limit! Keep winning, Queen!”
Queen?
She just started working at the front desk.
But LinkedIn does not permit ordinary beginnings.
Everything must be a milestone.
And perhaps that is because LinkedIn has created a strange pressure to make your life look professionally meaningful at all times.
You cannot simply say, “I got a job.”
You have to explain what the opportunity means.
You have to thank God.
Thank your parents.
Thank your lecturers.
Thank your mentors.
Thank your colleagues.
Thank the organisation.
Thank the people who believed in you.
And then you must promise to “leverage this opportunity to create meaningful impact.”
What impact?
Nobody knows.
But there will be impact.
There is always impact.
The funniest part is that LinkedIn has also taught us how to announce failure.
Even rejection has become inspirational.
On other platforms, someone might say:
“They rejected me.”
On LinkedIn:
“Although I was not selected for the opportunity, I am grateful for the experience, the insightful conversations and the lessons gained throughout the process.”
My dear, they sent you an email saying, “Unfortunately…”
You do not have to turn it into a TED Talk.
But perhaps we should not be too hard on LinkedIn people.
After all, professional life is competitive. People are trying to present themselves well. They want employers to see them as ambitious, positive and capable.
And there is nothing wrong with celebrating your achievements.
You should celebrate getting the job.
You should celebrate completing the course.
You should celebrate the promotion.
You should be proud of yourself.
But somewhere along the way, we started writing LinkedIn posts as though every small achievement requires a public relations department.
Sometimes, “I got the job. I am grateful.” is enough.
You do not need to be thrilled, humbled, honoured, delighted, excited, grateful and deeply inspired all at once.
You can just be happy.
In fact, I would like to see a LinkedIn post that says:
“I got the job. God did it. Thank you.”
No “new chapter.”
No “professional journey.”
No “leveraging.”
No “meaningful impact.”
Just the facts.
Because maybe the most revolutionary thing you can do on LinkedIn now is sound like a normal human being.
Until then, I suppose we will continue scrolling through our feeds, watching people announce their latest achievements with the emotional intensity of someone accepting an Oscar.
And to everyone who is currently thrilled to announce something:
Congratulations.
We are thrilled that you are thrilled.