What is digital identity?
Digital identity can be defined as “your presence online” (Stoller, 2016). This encompasses everything that you post, comment, and share online. In other words, all the information about a person that is found online, including a person’s name, contact information, social media profiles, browsing history, and more. This can be beneficial, but also detrimental towards your career. It is important to remain yourself, while also maintaining a certain level of professionally when behind a screen.
How do you present yourself on social media platforms for personal use? What kind of content do you share, and how do you manage your privacy?
I have two social media accounts that I use for personal use. One on instagram to keep in touch with my friends and see what they are up to, and one on TikTok, which I post more frequently on. I Iove making videos with my sister. It allows us to be creative and have fun together, however there was one time where this has gotten me in trouble at work. This taught me to be careful with what I post, especially if I am choosing to have a public account.
What steps do you take to maintain a professional image online?
To maintain a professional image online, I have learned to be careful with what I post. I go through the following questions in my head to ensure what I am posting is appropriate: How am I coming off in this? Is this appropriate for all audiences? Would my grandparents approve of this? What would my boss think of this? Next, I make sure to adjust my privacy settings accordingly. For instance, I post some of my videos privately. My instagram account is also private.
How do personal versus professional approaches to digital identity affect social media use?
The way an individual approaches digital identity can have an effect on how they use social media. Firstly, it can have an impact on the social media platform, whether that is Snapchat, Instagram, or LinkedIn. Some are more personal, like Snapchat, and some are more professional, like LinkedIn. Next, content will look differently. A personal approach will most likely feature random content that is relevant to the individuals life, whereas a professional approach to digital identity will most often feature planned and detailed content. Next, the two approaches may have a totally different view on privacy. A personal approach will probably value privacy, while a professional approach to digital identity will want to share information publicly to increase awareness and opportunities.
Reflect on the challenges and benefits of maintaining personal and professional digital identities. How do you ensure they complement rather than conflict with one another? Provide examples from your own experiences.
Maintaining personal and professional digital identities comes with challenges, such as keeping an appropriate, yet engaging profile, managing time, and maintaining privacy, and benefits, such as more increased opportunities. As long as you are being yourself and maintaining the same values, these two approaches to digital identity should not conflict, but rather complement one another. For example, my friend started a new job and started a social media account to help promote and sell the product. At first, they were being very bland and really separating personal from professional, but once they started being more themselves and blending the two together, the account started looking and doing better.
Looking ahead, how do you plan to manage your digital identity as social media continues to evolve? What steps will you take to adapt to new platforms and trends while maintaining a consistent and positive digital presence?
Looking ahead, I will continue to be mindful of what I share online. I also recognize that I will be starting my career as a teacher soon, and so therefore need to begin thinking about that. I do not want my students finding my accounts, so I will make sure they are all private. When new trends arise, I will take a step back to see if this trend aligns with my values, and if it is something that I truly want to participate in, or if I am just doing it because it is a “trend.”
Resources
University of Derby. (2016, November 25). Eric Stoller – What is Digital Identity? Retrieved July 14, 2024, from YouTube website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0RryRbJza0&t=6s
July 17, 2024 at 10:43 pm
Hi Abby,
I wanted to point out that your blog looks very well-organized and easy to read, great job!
I like how you emphasized the importance of staying true to yourself on the internet as that is an essential element some people forget. I am similar to you in that I have a few different accounts on different software that I typically use for different things. That is unfortunate you got in trouble once but I am glad it was used as a learning lesson to remind the importance of your digital footprint. I didn’t have the same experience however I did have a photo posted of me without my consent that I did not want online and I had to ask a friend to take it down.
I like what you pointed out about the different privacy for varying personal vs professional accounts as I agree with what you said. I’d like to add the idea of how balancing between the two identities can be both challenging and beneficial. I think that sometimes incorporating certain elements of personal life into professional life can help to be relatable and build a stronger professional community.
Thanks for sharing such a well-organized and informative post it was lovely to read!
-Fran:)
July 23, 2024 at 3:35 pm
Hello Abby!
I wanted to mention right away that your layout of your blog post is really well done. I enjoyed the headers as it’s easy for myself as a reader to understand what topics you will be talking about. Additionally, I liked how you incorporated one of your media’s into the post as I got to see a more personal and outgoing side of yourself!
I like how you approach maintaining a professional image online as all these questions you ask yourself are a great way to ensure you are still presenting yourself in a professional way while upholding to keep your privacy secure. I appreciated how you said that we should still maintain being ourselves no matter personal and professional. This is key, especially in the professional digital world in that employers are not going to want to interact with someone that is bland and doesn’t express themselves or showcase interests or goals.(In a professional manner)
It was great getting to read your blog post as it was very organized and to read and understand. Thanks for sharing!
Izze
July 23, 2024 at 6:25 pm
Hi Abby,
I love the way your blog is formatted and the fact that you added the bar from your Instagram so that viewers can see the profile and the way that you present yourself.
I liked the fact that you ask questions to yourself before posting online as that is something I definitely look to do myself. I also liked that you added your rationale of going into the workforce soon and wanting to make sure what you post is appropriate for the future as it is not something spoken on enough as social media grows and, as the information posted can last forever.
thank you for taking the time to share!