By Stu Woo

It isn't just you. A lot of people are spending more time on LinkedIn.

For years, the Microsoft-owned site was primarily a place to hunt for jobs -- and a punchline. It was a wasteland of corporate buzzwords, 4 a.m. wake-up routines and stories about overcoming workplace adversity with a little something called grit.

Some of that remains, but the vibe has shifted. At 22, an eternity in social-media years, LinkedIn has become a bigger part of the lives of many professionals and a thriving business.

Revenue jumped to $17 billion in 2025 from $7 billion in 2020, and membership doubled to 1.3 billion. Users stick around too: Americans checking LinkedIn more than once a day climbed to 4.7% last year from 3.9% in 2020, according to research firm GWI.

Design plays a part. The site emulated Facebook and TikTok by adding a news feed and videos. However, some new fans argue that the real attraction lies in the features LinkedIn hasn't changed -- in particular, the requirement that users provide their real names.

Research shows real names curb toxicity. While not immune to misinformation and scams, LinkedIn lured people leaving X and Facebook as content moderation and fact-checking there declined. Many concluded it was worth trading rage bait on other platforms for earnest monologues about why getting laid off was a blessing in disguise.

Here are three reasons why LinkedIn is winning people over.

Self-discipline

Even before Elon Musk gutted X's content moderation, James Bailey was tired of the shouting. "It's like a cursed artifact that gives you great power to keep up with what's going on, but at the cost of subtly corrupting your soul," said the 38-year-old Providence College economics professor.

He retreated. This year, he realized he was spending five to 10 minutes a day on a site he used to ignore. The reason lies in LinkedIn's oldest and stodgiest rule.

LinkedIn has always required real names, though that idea wasn't always untouchable.

"I cannot tell you how many times we've had internal debates on: Should we add handles?" said Gyanda Sachdeva, the company's head of consumer experience. It stuck with real identities to preserve trust.

The policy makes users more careful. "They don't want to put something on LinkedIn that a recruiter might look at," Sachdeva said.

Science backs this up, with studies spanning more than a decade consistently showing that anonymity breeds aggression. A 2013 analysis of online newspaper forums found that 53% of anonymous comments contained attacks or vulgarity, compared with 29% from users who had to identify themselves.

The study's author, Prof. Arthur Santana, concluded that when people can't hide behind an alias, they are much more likely to remain civil.

Smartest person in the room

The real-name rule doesn't just stop jerks. It also pressures people to perform.

LinkedIn users will be familiar with the saccharine positivity of users explaining how their latest promotion or honor makes them feel humbled and grateful.

But the need to look professional has a hidden upside: smarter conversations.

Consider a recent study of a stock-investment forum in China. Before requiring registration with government identification, it was a rumor mill. But afterward, the researchers observed that posts about short-term betting declined, replaced by discussions about business fundamentals. The comments became better at predicting future stock returns.

Even though users didn't have to post under real names, the mere fact that the platform knew who they were improved discourse, said Kanyuan Huang from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the study's co-author.

This appeals to the economist Bailey, who now routinely finds insightful posts on LinkedIn. "It can be a good place for people to share their writing now," he said.

Gentler algorithm

LinkedIn hasn't sat still. To justify Microsoft's 2016 purchase price of $27 billion, the platform evolved from a digital Rolodex into a daily destination. It added fun features and tried to reduce obnoxiousness.

It overhauled its news feed in 2017 and added TikTok-style vertical videos in early 2024. Sachdeva said the algorithm doesn't promote hot takes but emphasizes posts that create "economic opportunity" and get saved or shared.

"It's almost never coming from a place of controversy," she said. "It's usually very constructive."

Sachdeva said LinkedIn is even using artificial intelligence to attack a top complaint: "You don't even know this person and they show up in your feed with humblebrags. We don't want that."

But the filter has its limits. If a dad framing his toddler's screamfest as a lesson in conflict resolution is a personal connection of yours, the algorithm might let it through.

"We believe that deserves to be a candidate for your feed," she said.

Write to Stu Woo at Stu.Woo@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 06, 2026 23:00 ET (04:00 GMT)

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