LinkedIn is testing a new short-form video feature that mirrors the format of YouTube Shorts and TikTok, allowing users to scroll through videos seamlessly. The Microsoft-owned company confirmed the experiment to TechCrunch, with reports of users sharing videos through this new feature. This development indicates that LinkedIn is catching up to other social media platforms in investing in short-form video content. The videos are in a 9:16 aspect ratio commonly used for mobile scrolling, but they appear to be taken from existing posts on LinkedIn rather than specifically created for this new feature.
While the new short-form video feature on LinkedIn has not been officially rolled out, it has the potential to bring the platform in line with popular social media platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Snapchat which have already embraced short-form video content. This format is particularly popular among younger tech users, and online video consumption is a significant part of teenagers’ media consumption habits. However, there are concerns about the impact of infinite scrolling on mental health, with some US officials warning that it can lead to addiction to social media platforms. LinkedIn’s experiment with infinite scrolling raises questions about how it may affect users’ engagement and well-being if eventually implemented on a larger scale.
The short video clips featured in the test run on LinkedIn cover a range of topics, from entrepreneurial advice to career insights shared by professionals using the platform. These videos are presented as a series of short clips that users can scroll through within the app. The videos do not appear to be specially created for this new feature, as they are extracted from regular LinkedIn posts. This approach suggests that LinkedIn may be exploring ways to repurpose existing content on the platform in a more engaging format to attract and retain users who prefer short, digestible video content.
Infinite scrolling has been a controversial design feature on social media platforms due to concerns about its impact on mental health and user behavior. Critics argue that infinite scrolling can lead to excessive screen time and addiction to social media platforms by encouraging users to continuously scroll through content. LinkedIn’s experiment with infinite scrolling in the context of short-form video content highlights the ongoing debate about the ethical implications of platform design choices. The lawsuit filed by the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office against Meta (formerly Facebook) over mental health concerns for children specifically cited infinite scrolling as a feature that could contribute to users’ compulsive engagement with social media content.
As LinkedIn continues to explore new features and formats to enhance user experience, it will be important for the platform to consider the potential consequences of adopting trends like short-form video and infinite scrolling. Balancing user engagement with ethical considerations around mental health and digital well-being is a key challenge for social media companies. While short-form video content can be engaging and entertaining for users, it is essential to prioritize user safety and well-being in designing and implementing these features. As the social media landscape evolves, platforms like LinkedIn must stay attuned to user feedback and industry best practices to ensure a positive and responsible user experience.