62% of LinkedIn members say “LinkedIn Fatigue” is real

This article is based on a poll I conducted on LinkedIn in which 2,885 people voted.

This past Sunday was a lazy day. It rained in the morning after my daily walk, so there was no yard work to do. I powered up my laptop to check out what was happening on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Not much.

It’s not every Sunday that I have the opportunity to just sit and use LinkedIn. Like many people, I rarely (this word is relative) use social media on the weekends. These two days are dedicated to family, light travel, and getting things done around the house.

The day in question, I read some posts on LinkedIn and really had no desire to comment on any of them. I definitely had no urge to write a post. You could say I wasn’t feeling it.

𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱𝗜𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲.

This is a real thing, folks. We develop a routine for using LinkedIn and when we veer from it, it seems strange. We strive for consistency without overdoing it; three or four days a week of engagement at the minimum.

And maybe this is the proper amount of time to be on LinkedIn. I don’t prescribe to this limit; there have been numerous times when I’ve said and written that I’m on LinkedIn everyday. This means 365 days a year. I’ve also seen some common faces using LinkedIn as frequently as me.

In another poll I conducted on LinkedIn, I asked how often members use LinkedIn. The options were approximately once a month, once a week, four times a week, or every day. Of the 5,040 people who voted 65% said they use LinkedIn every day. Four times a week came in second at 22% and the remainder of the voters were negligible.

One voter wrote, “Maybe not 365, Bob, but definitely high 300s. I typically spend multiple hours every week day, and less time on the weekends….”

For me, contributing to being on LinkedIn everyday is probably due to the mobile app. Using LinkedIn on the mobile app can definitely contribute to LinkedIn fatigue. We don’t see the app as a real device on which we use LinkedIn, but it is.

I think about the times I used the app while waiting for my kids to be released from their activities—soccer, dance, other school events—as well as checking it at work, outside waiting for the grill to heat up—basically anywhere. LinkedIn doesn’t escape from us, just like any social media platform come to think about it.

Some of my LinkedIn connections say the last thing they do before retiring for bed is check out their LinkedIn feed or Notifications. So, it seems there is no way to escape the beloved LinkedIn. Here is what some of people who suffer from LinkedIn wrote in the comments:


Kevin D. Turner: Absolutely Bob McIntosh, CPRW, I learned many years ago to schedule at least one bi-weekly #DigitalReprieve (a Day without Digital) and it’s helps.

Celeste Berke Knisely, MTA: The fatigue is real. It often strikes me when I see content from people who seem to be posting on top of one another – posting to post or get likes. I usually give it a good eye role, walk away and come back when I feel like it. No one can be on all the time with witty and thoughtful commentary.

Sometimes, we just need to stare out the window.

Hannah Morgan: Glad you’re sharing this and opening up a discussion. I used to post once a day on LinkedIn. Now I post twice a week. It’s a lot of work. And harder today to create good stuff!

Jeff Sheehan: I get overall social media fatigue. It’s not just limited to LinkedIn. The last year has been challenging with very little IRL interaction. Social media simply is not comparable to meeting face-to-face with people.

Maureen McCann, Executive Career Strategist 💎 (She/Her): I definitely had it last year. We had moved across the country and I just couldn’t get myself to sit in front of the LinkedIn screen trying to uplift others when I was mentally and emotionally drained. So I didn’t. I took a huge break. I don’t think anyone noticed.

Erin Kennedy: I hit Yes but am pretty good about boundaries. I definitely stay off of it on weekends.

Austin Belcak (He/Him): Absolutely! I’ve learned to listen to my body and trust that. If posting that day feels like a real chore, I won’t do it. If it feel that two days in a row, I just give myself permission to take a few days off. Being here should be fun, if you push past that it’s not leading to anything good.

Paula Christensen CPRW, CEIC, CJSS: I answered yes and I blame COVID. Over year+ I have had a lot more time for social media. I am getting tired of staring at glowing rectangles.

🍊 Madeline Mann 🍊: Content creation can be absolute blissful, but it also can really take it out of me sometimes. If you have a commitment to post a certain number of days, I use the tip from atomic habits. Allow yourself to break your habits, but never two days in a row.

Shelley Piedmont, SPHR, SHRM-SCP: I don’t think this is only with LinkedIn. Sometimes you just aren’t feeling it. Better to acknowledge it and move on to something else. Maybe on Sunday your time was better spent reading or taking a walk?

Ashley Watkins, NCRW, NCOPE: It’s cool to step away and return when you’re refreshed and energized. I don’t believe in posting just because. You need to be intentional and thoughtful in your messaging at all times.

Adrienne Tom: I get social media fatigue a lot. Whenever I do, I break from it. Usually just for short stretches. It can be a bit up and down…back and forth for me, but I’ve learned to embrace how I’m feeling and do what works best for me.

Virginia Franco: I get fatigue in general twice a year that absolutely extends to this platform. I also refer to it as “seasonal dementia,” as I tend to grow increasingly scattered! It happens as the end of the school year draws to a close (5 weeks for us) and from Thanksgiving until New Years!

Wes Pearce, Professional Resume Writer: Absolutely. Social media fatigue in general. When I feel this way, I just try to step away for awhile and come back tomorrow.

Honestly staying on screens and social media isn’t even natural for us to do, so it makes sense we get fatigued easily.

Ana Lokotkova: I definitely had it a few times not only in regards to LinkedIn, but all social media for that matter. As always, balance is key.

Matt Warzel, CPRW, CIR: Any and all social media can be fatigue-worthy. If I am annoyed, hungry, tired, or upset, the last thing I want to do is put that feeling in the form of a post or message out there. I love me some breathers and no-screen time when it’s needed. Solid poll question bud!

Laurence F. Smith:, In my opinion, there is too much content on LinkedIn to be of any value. Because of FOMO, there is an inclination to want to ingest everything on the platform. LinkedIn used to be a professional networking platform with relevant content communicating career and related educational opportunities, company/business news and business strategic planning. Now it is a platform with “Facebook-like” content (family videos, college or high-school graduation pictures, constant sales pitches, etcetera).

So it is easy to become fatigued from LinkedIn content. I do not use LinkedIn as much anymore and I suspect other professionals and job creators we all want to connect with may feel the same way.

Nilofar Shamim Haja: Interesting observation! I believe more than fatigue, many of us feel uninspired while using LinkedIn. It’s now cluttered with too many polls, news re-shares, and personal updates (or rants) that have impacted the platform’s value proposition. Sure, we live in a markedly different time today than when LinkedIn was launched, however, the core needs of professionals remain the same: networking, connecting with mentors and peers, job opportunities, and learning about industry updates. It’s just become that much more difficult to find the value in the midst of all the fluff.

Shelley Piedmont, SPHR, SHRM-SCP: Over this past weekend, I really tried to limit my social media intake on all platforms. It is good to do something else, anything else at times. In my daily journal, one of my prompts is how could you have made the day better. Often, I write about partaking in less social media.

Photo by Nathan Cowley on Pexels.com

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