LinkedIn has given me the ick. Here’s why…
I’ve been spending a LOT less time on LinkedIn lately.
I’d open the app, scroll for a few minutes, and realise I hadn’t really taken anything in. Plenty of posts, plenty of activity, but very little that made me stop or think: Oh,that’s actually interesting!
I don’t think it’s that LinkedIn has suddenly changed. It’s been more of a slow shift in tone. And once you notice it, trust me, it’s hard to unsee.
Everything sounds oddly the same
One of the first things you notice is how similar a lot of posts feel.
You can usually spot the structure before you’ve even finished the first line. A short hook. A personal anecdote. A moment of tension or reflection. Then a neat conclusion that zooms out into a broader lesson about business, leadership, or life.
🥱🥱🥱
The format itself isn’t the problem. It’s based on copywriting structures that have worked well for years. There’s a reason it’s everywhere.
The issue is how heavily it’s being relied on. When so many posts follow the same pattern so closely, the content starts to feel interchangeable. You could swap out the details, change the setting, tweak the industry, and it would still land in exactly the same way.
At that point, the structure is doing most of the work. And the thinking behind it starts to feel a bit thin.
tHE RISE OF “POLISHED VULNERABILITY”
LinkedIn used to feel like a place where people talked about their work. Now it often feels like people are turning their lives into content.
There’s nothing wrong with sharing something personal. Some of the most interesting posts come from real experiences. But there’s a difference between sharing something and shaping it to fit a format.
A lot of posts now follow a very recognisable arc: A difficult experience. A moment of reflection. A lesson that ties everything together neatly at the end. It reads well. Almost too well.
I’ve started thinking of it as “polished vulnerability”. The edges are smoothed out. The uncertainty is removed. The story lands exactly where it’s supposed to.
The thing is, real human experiences don’t usually work like that. They’re often unresolved, slightly contradictory, and not especially neat when you try to explain them. So when everything lines up perfectly, it can feel less like someone sharing something honestly and more like something that’s been carefully assembled to read well on LinkedIn.
AI has flattened the edges
AI has made this easier to produce at scale and “fill the feed”. You can generate a LinkedIn post in seconds. Give it a rough idea, a tone, and a structure, and it will give you something that looks complete.
The problem is that it’s built on patterns that already exist. So instead of adding anything new, it reinforces what’s already there. You end up with more posts that sound familiar, follow the same rhythm, and land in the same place.
It’s not always obvious that something is AI-generated. It’s more subtle than that. It’s the feeling that you’ve read this before. Or the wording feels slightly too neutral. Or worse, it lacks any personality or unique POV, like it could belong to literally anyone.
Over time, that sameness has built up. And the feed now feels flat and soulless.
The original purpose gets a bit lost
LinkedIn was originally a space for professional connection. Sharing ideas. Talking about work. Learning from others in your field.
That still exists, but it’s harder to find.
When the feed is filled with highly structured stories and carefully packaged lessons, the more straightforward, useful content can get buried. The posts that simply explain something well, or offer a clear perspective, don’t always follow the same format.
So what actually stands out now?
If you’re using LinkedIn for your business, it’s easy to feel like you need to match what you’re seeing. Certain formats get attention. Certain styles appear to work. But copying those patterns too closely tends to produce more of the same.
At this point, the most noticeable thing on LinkedIn is when something doesn’t follow the pattern. A post that gets straight to the point without trying to build suspense. A piece of writing that explores an idea without forcing it into a neat takeaway. Or an opinion that isn’t softened to make it more widely agreeable.
A more useful starting point is your own work. Ask yourself:
What are you noticing with clients?
What do people consistently misunderstand?
What do you find yourself explaining over and over again?
I promise you: that’s where the interesting content lies.
I’m curious… Is it just me or do you feel allergic to LinkedIn right now, too? If so, I’d love to moan with you in the comments ⬇️
