🎧 Why LinkedIn feels so cringey right now

Happy Thursday 👋Here’s everything we covered in this week’s Open Tabs conversation:* Avoiding LinkedIn cringe and how the platform is [trying] to evolve [0:00]. We kicked things off with a topic that’s been top of mind for our clients lately: LinkedIn’s evolution from a job-board-first platform into a true social feed. With more creators (including TikTok-native ones) showing up, LinkedIn feels increasingly unavoidable for thought leadership — and increasingly hard to scroll. Long, overwrought captions, performative posts, and algorithm-chasing content have made “LinkedIn cringe” its own genre.* Our POV: LinkedIn is ripe for reinvention. The algorithm currently rewards content that often feels inauthentic, but that also means there’s real opportunity for creators who experiment thoughtfully. The platform doesn’t need to be fed constantly — it rewards intention, clarity, and actual value over volume. Short-term engagement hacks may work, but they come at the cost of long-term credibility.* Additional resources:* r/LinkedInLunatics - good resource for what to avoid* LinkedIn Outlines Measures to Combat Engagement Pods, Social Media Today* Wikipedia is cool again (with a little help from AI)[~12:50]. Next, we talked about why people are increasingly turning to Wikipedia as AI-generated search results become more common — and more unreliable. Sparked by a piece from Vox, we discuss why Wikipedia’s human-edited, nonprofit model feels more trustworthy than AI summaries that often get facts wrong. We also dug into the surprisingly intense (and passionate) community of volunteer editors behind the scenes.* Our POV: Wikipedia’s longevity, transparency, and human labor give it credibility as AI becomes a bigger part of our lives. As AI scrapes more data from Wikipedia, the platform’s human perspective becomes even more valuable and even more relevant.* Additional resources:* Wikipedia is having a renaissance in the age of AI, Vox* @depthsofwikipedia on Instagram - Emma Marshall’s fave posts:* Baby Jesus Theft * Page dedicated to stereotypes of British people* Page dedicated to Jonathan, a 193-year-old Tortoise who is the oldest known living land animal* How Wikipedia Really Works: An Insider’s Wry, Brave Account, Forbes* Why heritage brands are primed for a comeback, #ForYou by Melissa Blum* TikTok’s new Local Tab and the push towards IRL connection [~21:45]. We wrapped with TikTok’s new Local tab, which surfaces nearby creators, restaurants, and events using location data. While TikTok has always been quietly local, this feature makes that functionality explicit — and aligns with broader conversations about getting people off their phones and back into real-world communities.* Our POV: We think this move is both strategic and symbolic. Yes, local discovery unlocks new advertising and data opportunities, but it also reflects growing cultural (and legal) pressure on platforms to address overuse and addiction among young users. As influence becomes more decentralized and hyper-local creators gain traction, features like this tap into a real appetite for IRL connection over global trend-chasing.* Additional resources:* TikTok Launches Local Feeds in the U.S., The Verge* 💎 Instagram gives creators the green light to repost - and why the best digital strategies lead back to real life, #ForYou by Melissa BlumThanks for listening! 🎧 🤍 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mtdeco.substack.com/subscribe