Linked In users - is there any way to turn off all the useless crap (2nd-level friend notifications, sponsored information, jobs information) that they shove at you?

… or to the point of “encouraging” users to upgrade to Linkedin Premium.

I wouldn’t know for sure. Though I have hundreds of Linkedin connections, I barely use the thing myself. (It has been pretty useless for a long time.)

I just looked at my settings, and you can turn off job notifications and the like there. I can’t find anything to turn off 2nd level friend notification stuff. I don’t think I get that though.

I do find LinkedIn handy to keep in touch with past students. A lot of them connect with me and it’s great to see where they end up. I’ve also found it handy to get in touch with people when I don’t have their email address, telephone number or another method of contact. I might not be able to reach people in any other way. Beyond that I don’t really use it.

Hover over your picture (upper right corner) select Privacy and Settings (you will need to authenticate with your password). Review the settings within these areas of your LinkedIn Profile for how you can configure what you see and what others can see from you: Privacy, Communication, Groups, Companies, & Applications and Account.

LinkedIn is a professional networking platform. It’s not like other social media. The purpose of LinkedIn is to provide people with information in the form of notifications, business updates, and job information. That’s why it’s called LinkedIn, because joining means you are “linked” to all of this kind information. (Imagine someone being on Instagram and wondering what to do about all the photos they keep seeing.) I suggest reviewing the reason you joined LinkedIn, just to make sure that it’s the platform for you.