‘It makes me think I’m falling behind’: Warwick students on how LinkedIn fuels comparison and competition

From first-year internship seekers to final-year graduate job hunters, LinkedIn is a frequent topic of conversation among Warwick students. These LinkedIn warriors scroll through internship announcements, job advertisements, and posts featuring prizes achieved and top grades earned, watching as the boundaries between career preparation and social comparison become blurred.

Hustle culture promotes the idea that there is always more to strive for, whether it be a new role, or an academic prize, or an internship opportunity

Studying at one of the UK’s top ten universities, it is perhaps unsurprising that Warwick students are always on the hunt for their next opportunity, keen to post about their latest achievements. A recent poll by The Boar has revealed that 70% of Warwick students believe that the University’s academic and social environment contributes to the pressure they feel to maintain a presence on LinkedIn. “Warwick feels a lot more try-hard than other universities; people seem to be more concerned with hustle culture,” expressed one respondent.

Hustle culture promotes the idea that there is always more to strive for, whether it be a new role, or an academic prize, or an internship opportunity. Those who embrace the hustle often boast about overworking – opting to disregard the negative impact on their mental and physical health, instead highlighting the number of hours logged and the results achieved. Pressure to achieve in a competitive environment can blur the boundaries between academic, work, and social life, a familiar occurrence among Warwick students. As one individual reported to The Boar, “I’ve been at pre-drinks for a night out when someone asked to connect with me on LinkedIn.”

In an environment as competitive as Warwick, LinkedIn can feel both like an obligation and a platform upon which to display success. A reported 71% of poll respondents believe that LinkedIn contributes to the pressure they feel to present themselves as ambitious and successful online. “It feels like you need to post your achievements to be viewed as successful and have numerous top achievements to even create a post,” one Warwick student admitted to The Boar.

Highly curated LinkedIn posts celebrate promotions, academic achievements, and internships, but rarely, if ever, consider rejection and failure, creating the false impression that one’s peers are constantly progressing. As a result, students feel as though they are “massively falling behind”, which “heightens stress” and leads to comparison. The Boar’s poll found that 82% of respondents have used LinkedIn to compare their own achievements to those of other Warwick students.

Leveraged in the right ways, however, comparison can function as motivation to action, increasing students’ efforts to supply their own career prospects

It is no surprise that so many view LinkedIn as a site for comparison; nearly 60% of respondents reported that they use the platform primarily to view others’ career updates. Comparison was cited as the most common reason why Warwick students visit the platform. Leveraged in the right ways, however, comparison can function as motivation to action, increasing students’ efforts to supply their own career prospects, according to a 2021 psychological study.

Almost 30% of respondents of The Boar’s poll agree that LinkedIn makes them feel “inspired and motivated”, and a further 6% strongly agreed with this statement. “Knowing your peers are on the platform pushes you to have an account and online presence,” reflected one Warwick student. Another poll respondent admitted that a motivator to pursue achievements was driven by the opportunity to post on LinkedIn, in order “to be a competitive applicant for jobs and work experience”. While comparison can offer motivation to achieve, it can also dampen drive and elevate stress. One Warwick student reported that “comparing yourself to other students on the app can make you feel less confident about yourself in the job market”. Others stated that comparison causes feelings of inadequacy.

Over 80% of poll respondents agree or strongly agree that LinkedIn makes them feel as though they are falling behind their peers; all remaining respondents neither agree nor disagree with this statement. The poll’s results – particularly the absence of respondents who disagreed that LinkedIn makes them feel behind their fellow students – suggest that even students with numerous posts showcasing top internship opportunities, university grades, or work experience still feel as though they are not doing enough. It appears to be a common sentiment among Warwick students that LinkedIn makes them feel as though they should be doing more. In conversation with The Boar, one Warwick student responded that comparisons on LinkedIn make them “panic, mostly”. Similarly, almost 65% of respondents agreed that LinkedIn makes them feel “anxious and overwhelmed”.

responses to The Boar’s poll suggest that LinkedIn is viewed both as a source of opportunity and inspiration and as a platform that amplifies pressure, anxiety, and toxic comparison.

Despite these negative feelings, few students believe the platform is worth abandoning, viewing LinkedIn as an unavoidable part of modern career-building. Not only useful for establishing a “personal brand”, LinkedIn also provides a gateway for job and internship opportunities. Top firms and organisations post positions open for applications, and the app’s messaging feature allows employers to reach out and recruit for jobs. LinkedIn messaging and connections are valuable means of networking, particularly for those lacking a “strong” web of contacts from family and friends. “I’m aware that I need to build my own network to gain opportunities, and LinkedIn is useful for that,” a Warwick student responded.

When considered as a whole, responses to The Boar’s poll suggest that LinkedIn is viewed both as a source of opportunity and inspiration and as a platform that amplifies pressure, anxiety, and toxic comparison. In today’s world of work, engagement with sites like LinkedIn is increasingly made a necessity. Warwick students are likely to continue using it, gaining opportunities while contending with negative self-comparison along the way.