I recently watched The Social Dilemma on Netflix. It's a dystopian take on how social media is destroying us – individually and collectively.
The addiction, the polarization, the echo chambers, the disconnection.
I took all social media apps off my phone a while ago – including LinkedIn.
I'm not active on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, but still found myself mindlessly scrolling much more often than I would like to (and like to admit).
But the way this film broke it down kind of scared the shit out of me.
Immediately after watching it, I deleted my Twitter account. I temporarily disabled my Instagram, and logged out of Facebook – actions that time will tell if they are non-committal or a step in the right direction.
Now I'm left with LinkedIn.
I like LinkedIn. A place to share my ideas, to stay relevant, to make connections, to learn from others, to be inspired, to get leads and clients.
But now, I don't know, I'm not feeling it. I've told myself that LinkedIn isn't Twitter or Facebook or Instagram – that it's somehow different, better.
Is it though? The vitriol, the devolution of conversation, the censoring of content and ideas.
Do I stay to maintain a professional presence? Or do I stay because I'm addicted?
Should I stay or should I go? A social dilemma for sure.