Gen Z’s Confessional Style Fuels Generational Divide on LinkedIn

Ali Cudby spends a lot of time on LinkedIn, using the platform to network and find clients for her customer-retention business. But lately, she finds herself caught in what many users describe as a growing generational divide on the website.

The Gen X entrepreneur from Boston, who has an MBA from Wharton, is turned off by the barrage of performative content from hustle-culture influencers and AI-generated “thought leadership,” not to mention the pet and the vacation photos that increasingly populate her feed. With her engagement numbers dropping, she recently consulted a social media expert who advised her to post “more personal stuff” to increase her visibility. But it doesn’t come naturally.