Social constructs are made up, yes, but it doesn’t mean they are not real.

They might be pieces of paper, but they have real influence on the behavior of other human beings. A write up at work might not mean much as a piece of physical matter. But if it is gonna mean that you will lose your job, or won’t get another one as easily. It threatens your livelihood in a real way. They are a symbol, a recognizable proxy for even more intangible things like character, skill, aptitude, etc. They are flawed, but they are what we have in place. It so far hasn’t led to our extinction, yet, so it is an evolutionary trait that will stay for the time being.