What is digital identity?
I define digital identity as a multitude of things, it is not only your presence online but the identity you formed through social media profiles, professional networks, and online collaboration. An individual’s digital identity includes personal information such as living locations, photos of self, personal behvaiours and personal and professional affiliations. Your digital identity is how you view your self and how others view you, and it is a permanent collection of data about you that is accessible online.
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?
On the social media platforms I use for personal use I present myself by sharing content about my life that reflects my interests, lifestyle, and hobbies. I like to share photos of my travels, special moments with family and friends. One of the main reasons I use social media is to share my life with family and friends, I have many people in my life that don’t live near so its nice to keep them updated. To manage my privacy I have my accounts set to private, therefore I have to accept anyone who wants to follow me and view my posts. I am also mindful of the content I share making sure not to share sensitive or inappropriate information.
What steps do you take to maintain a professional image online?
To maintain a professional image online I use platforms such as Linkden, to highlight my skills, job experience, and accomplishments. I display myself as an office intern, aspiring psychology masters student, and current UVic student. I use Linkedin as a tool to connect with others in the same professional and educational field as myself, which enables me to make networking connections. I keep my personal accounts private to create a division between my personal and professional digital identity, part of the way I do this by using my nick name in my personal accounts and full name within professional accounts.
How do personal versus professional approaches to digital identity affect social media use?
My personal accounts are more casual, laid back, and include a variety of topics when compared to my professional accounts. My professional accounts include more professional achievements and connections with others in the same field. Within privacy settings I tend to keep my personal accounts more secure to protect my private life and details about my family and friends.
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 a private digital identity can be hard in 2024, with so many people on different platforms, from different areas of your life. I find that even if my account is private I will often be posted on friends or family members accounts that are public. I have to ensure that these posts don’t conflict with personal and professional standards. It can be annoying to be the person that makes your friend take down a post but sometimes that’s what needs to be done. Additionally, maintaining and engaging with multiple accounts can be time consuming and sometimes my professional accounts can be neglected in periods where I am busy with school work. Some benefits of having both private and public accounts allows me to share a well rounded image of my self encompassing personal interest and professional knowledge. To make sure my different accounts complement each other instead of conflict I am mindful about what I share ensuring that posts on my personal accounts do not contradict with my professional image.
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?
As social media continues to evolve, I plan to manage my digital identity by keeping up to date with new tools and techniques for managing digital identities and using them to enhance my online presence. I plan on regularly viewing and updating privacy settings to ensure I keep the information I want private and the information I want public in their right place.
amandabeechey
Hi Ata,
I really enjoyed the video you included in this blog about digital identity. I thought that the graphics they used were very nice and easy to follow. I also really like how you describe digital identity as a collection of data about yourself that is available online. I think that it is really important to view it as that, as your digital identity is not contained to just the things you personally contribute to social media. I like how you shared about struggling to balance school, work and professional social media accounts. Are there any strategies you could use to help yourself stay more consistent with upkeeping your professional accounts during busy periods of your life?
anna101
Hey, Ata. I like your post and totally agree, I feel like sometimes it’s hard to find a balance between posting on your personal account versus professional and I as well tend to neglect my professional accounts at times without realising. I also relate to how you have to monitor your privacy settings to make sure no one is strange watching. I also think it is smart of you to keep up with the new tools and techniques for managing digital identities. At the moment what techniques would be considered best personally for you? Overall I liked your post and found the video you uploaded useful, as an easy way to comprehend digital identity.