Elon Musk, the world's wealthiest individual, has once again directed criticism towards the professional networking platform LinkedIn. This time, he described the act of posting on LinkedIn as "cringe," a term in slang that refers to something awkward, exaggerated, or embarrassing, causing discomfort to onlookers.
Musk's Response to a User's Comment
The comment arose during a response to a post by X user @craigweiss, who expressed that reading posts on LinkedIn made him "lose faith in humanity." Weiss further claimed that the best entrepreneurs do not utilize LinkedIn for networking. In response, Musk succinctly stated, "Posting in LinkedIn is cringe,” succinctly reflecting his opinion on the platform's content.
Reactions from the Online Community
Musk’s remarks quickly went viral, igniting a wide array of reactions from internet users. Some agreed with Musk, arguing that LinkedIn has become saturated with posts that feel artificial and overly self-promotional. Others defended the platform, emphasizing its importance for career development and professional networking, as reported by KompasTekno from IndianExpress.
A Pattern of Criticism
This isn't the first time Musk has criticized LinkedIn. Over the past few years, he has repeatedly pointed out what he perceives as the platform's tendency towards self-promotion and contrived career updates. The term "LinkedIn Cringe" has emerged online to describe this phenomenon, highlighting posts that are seen as insincere or excessively polished.
Examples of LinkedIn Culture
Typical LinkedIn content often includes self-promotional messages, personal anecdotes framed as career lessons, and the use of corporate jargon that can feel over-the-top. Interestingly, Musk's critique seemed to resonate with observations of Apple’s new CEO, John Ternus. Despite over two decades at Apple, Ternus's LinkedIn profile is remarkably sparse, lacking the usual career achievement posts or motivational leadership messages found on many profiles.
The scrutiny of Ternus's profile began when a Reddit user shared a screenshot after his appointment as CEO, highlighting its simplicity in stark contrast to the typical LinkedIn presentation.
Source: https://tekno.kompas.com/read/2026/07/04/11020077/elon-musk-sindir-pengguna-linkedin-bilang-postingannya-cringe-
