Mom Who Used LinkedIn To Find Her Missing Son Accused Of Posting About It To Promote Her Employer
They accused her of clout chasing.
Ivan Samkov / Pexels, LinkedIn LinkedIn's role in professional networking and job searching cannot be overstated in this modern world but I'm sure we can all agree that the etiquette around what does and doesn't belong on the platform has become more blurred in recent years.
From memes to overly personal confessions, LinkedIn posts are becoming a little unprofessional. But, for one mom, the social networking site proved its worth when a non-work-related message from a total stranger brought her missing son home to her.
A woman found her son through a LinkedIn message after he went missing at the park.
A screenshot of the story, which the relieved mom shared on the networking platform has been shared in Reddit's "r/LinkedInLunatics" subreddit.
The mom in question, Amandine, explained that while chaperoning a group of ten-year-olds, her own child had wandered off.
He did not have his mother’s phone number, nor did he have a phone to contact her on.
While she searched for the boy, unbeknownst to her, he had met up with some people who wanted to help him find his mom.
The boy relayed that his mother worked at LinkedIn and the helpful citizens hopped online and looked her up.
After receiving a message from the woman who was with her son, Amandine was reunited with him and used LinkedIn to share her story and to thank the woman, Karine, for helping her locate her lost child.
People in the comments were not amused by Amandine’s heroic story touting the unseen benefits of her employer.
One person commented, “The kicker? The son doesn't exist, just a PR post to make LI (LinkedIn) seems useful/relevant.”
Another reader hypothesized that the situation was manufactured and even shared a hypothetical script that read, “Ok Mikey, mom bought you that ice cream, right? Now I want to you go over to that lady over there and tell her you are lost. And that you don’t know my phone number but I work at LinkedIn. Maybe hint she can InMail me. Ok?”
Others were surprised that the woman would take to a public forum to share how irresponsible she had been in supervising her son.
One person added, “So bragging about an absolute sh-tstorm of bad parenting on LinkedIn is good for the career?”
There are downsides to oversharing on LinkedIn.
If you head over to LinkedIn, you can find several articles about the dangers of sharing details about your personal life on their site.
The professional networking platform is considered an extension of the workplace, and giving too much insight into your personality can attract some while turning others completely off.
Employers use LinkedIn to understand what a person’s reputation is, how they show up to the world, and what kind of judgement skills they have.
Amandine’s situation could easily be perceived in a negative way, considering she failed to keep track of her own kid.
Some might wonder how she would manage less important objects.
On the flip side, many parents have temporarily lost sight of a child in a crowded park and can likely relate to her plight.
Sharing online is a double-edged sword, so it is important to know your audience and keep any potential backlash in mind when you decide to share your life with your network.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and author of seven books. She covers lifestyle and entertainment and news, as well as navigating the workplace and social issues.