Commenting for reach
I learned a new phrase this week: Commenting for reach.
On the same day I was talking to a friend and colleague about LinkedIn algorithms (which you can almost figure out by the identical formats of certain types of posts), I read the Wall Street Journal article titled “These Words Are Taking Over LinkedIn”.
Since it’s behind a paywall, I’ll give you the bottom line: “Commenting for reach” has become the new comment-of-choice by people wanting to boost another person’s post (because more comments = more reach in LinkedIn’s algorithm).
[Face palm]
Now you might think the same thing I did at first and go, “Huh, that’s interesting.” Then you might have read a little further into the article as I did and started to get terribly discouraged about humanity, with yet another indicator of how we have stopped meaningfully connecting with and supporting one another, and started relegating ourselves instead to a quick “like” or “commenting for reach” as a way to appear engaged without having to put in real effort. Performative connection in our everyday lives.
It's no wonder humans are the loneliest we’ve ever been…
