What is a digital identity?

Digital identity is your presence online  – what you choose to share and how you interact to represent yourself digitally (Stoller, 2016).  These can be constructed on platforms such as: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn etc.  Our digital identities can help our personal and professional lives by connecting us with local and/or global communities, as well as diminish those connections and supports if you do not represent yourself authentically and professionally online.

In some areas of the world, digital identity can also be used to increase political and social inclusion, drive economic growth, and provide citizens access to services online, such as: voting, health records, and taxes (World Economic Forum, 2019).

How do personal versus professional approaches to digital identity affect social media use?

Many people choose to have multiple social media accounts for personal and professional use as they separate the type of content and tailor their language to distinct audiences. A personal account is a space where people choose to reach out to friends and family, post photos, and connect to like-minded groups.  Contrastingly, a professional social media account is a space where people choose to omit many of their personal details and prove themselves ‘hireable’ as they share their positions and achievements to connect with other professionals in their field. Spracklen (2015) discusses that our digital identities, whether personal or professional,  are performative and often full of half-truths or false representations as we use social media to ‘best’ represent ourselves online to find belonging and meaning in our culture.

How do digital identities converge in networked publics – what are the impacts and/or benefits?

Digital identities are increasingly being sourced as a means to access public services and prove residency (2019).  Unfortunately these opportunities are not accessible to all as nearly 50% of the worlds population still does not have internet access. This brings up issues of inclusion and discrimination as not all citizens are able to participate digitally in an equal manner. Converging out digital identities with networked publics can also bring about negative impacts to security, ethics, and privacy if not standardized and quality controlled (2019).

However, if digital identities can be implemented on a global scale with equal opportunity and safety, the positive impacts for society and economy would be immense. In Estonia, digital identities are used to access businesses and services through a digital ID card. These ID cards are used for taxes, e-voting, e-prescriptions and signing digital documents – thus saving their citizens time and money for accessing various public services (2019).

Resources:

Davos (2019). The Value of Digital Identity for the Global Economy and Society https://youtu.be/1-V7lyxrOmw

Spracklen, K. (2015). Identity-Making and Social Media. In: Digital Leisure, the Internet and Popular Culture. Leisure Studies in a Global Era. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137405876_6

Stoller, E. (2016). What is Digital Identity? https://youtu.be/u0RryRbJza0Davos (2019). The Value of Digital Identity for the Global Economy and Society https://youtu.be/1-V7lyxrOmw

Networking is an increasingly important aspect of all professional careers. Online networking supports individual growth, learning, and connection building (Rajagopal, K. et al, 2011). Our readings this week dug into understanding personal communications and learning networks (PLN’s) – what they are, why we use them, and the risks/rewards of putting ourselves out there in public-online spaces.

Networking with social media: what and why?

Networking with social media (Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) is considered a ‘weak link’ – meaning that it is not physical, primarily social, and predominately about building connections (2011). These links are intentionally built, created, and maintained with the goal of advancing ones own knowledge and professional skills. Social media exposes professionals to outside experts, other professionals, and new concepts and ideas they may have never otherwise been connected with (2011). Networking via social media is also self-regulated learning  – empowering users to claim ownership while providing life-long learning opportunities.

What Motivates us?

Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash

Social media has changed the way we interact with each other online. It motivates us to participate because it provides a low-barrier way to collaborate and converse with colleagues in any field, based on your areas of interest. There are so many personal and professional advantages to reach out to others in social public places. As an educator I could use social media for: professional advice, lesson planning, innovative tech ideas, parent/teacher/student communication, training, discussion, assignments and so much more. Another driving motivator is ease of access. Many of us already have an online presence in our personal lives that can be used as a smooth transition to position ourselves professionally on social media – of course assuming our curated content is appropriate.

Risks & rewards of public communications?

Risks

• Privacy/Data collection-It is no shocker that we are being tracked with every move we make online. This can be particularly problematic in a professional environment if your online presence is inappropriate (as mentioned above). You always want to be mindful of what you are sharing and reading.
• Comparison to others-Due to data collection and algorithms, we sometimes get grouped into categories based on our online presence that categorize us based on ‘others’ with the same habits (Boyd, 2012). I’m sure we have all experienced wacky advertisements popping up online based on our search histories.
• Lack of control-We can never achieve perfect control in online environments even with diligent privacy settings and permissions (2012).

Rewards

• Enhancing communication-Barriers such as geographical location, culture, language, and schedules are removed – effectively increasing communication and collaboration amongst professionals.
• Building/maintaining connections-As you build up your PLN, you can reach out for relevant resources/information when needed as well as engage with professionals who can bring value to your work (2011).
• Appropriate and constant support-Sets us up for life-long learning which is often gained through experience and reflection (2011).

What this means for me?

With this information in mind, I will move forward with my public communications in a more responsible manner. The professional rewards of social media use far exceed the risks and I feel further motivated to move about online spaces to increase my personal learning network.

References:

Boyd, D. (2012). Networked Privacy. Vol. 10 No. 3/4 (2012): Open Issue. https://doi.org/10.24908/ss.v10i3/4.4529

Rajagopal, K., Joosten-ten Brinke, D., Van Bruggen, J., & Sloep, P. B. (2011). Understanding personal learning networks: Their structure, content and the networking skills needed to optimally use them. First Monday, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v17i1.3559