Month: January 2021

What is a digital identity?

Digital identity refers to ones online personality from posting pictures, liking pages, and everything that one publicly posts (Jawed, Et al, 2019). However, ones digital identity may not match the individuals life personality. People are able to hide their true identity behind their digital identity. Behind the screen, people post certain pictures and posts to choose how they want other viewers to see them. For example, I often share pictures on my Instagram of my roommates and I walking around beach. This shows my followers that I am active and doing fun things. In reality, I spend the majority of my time indoors.

Moreover, a persons digital identity becomes their online footprint. This means that ones digital identity can be traceable and accessible anyone. One’s footprint can affect job opportunity and school acceptance based on what others can see. For example, my friend posts pictures of herself heavily drinking on her social media. She has her account open meaning anyone who searchers her name can see all of her drinking photos. The footprint may leave a negative impression on whoever is looking.

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

Many companies advertise through social media. The social media page tends to be more professional, themed, and categorized. The goal of the social media page is to look professional and share information about the business to encourage people to learn more. Whereas a personal digital identity shares personal events and emotions.

To elaborate, my friend recently started her own eye lash company. She created an Instagram account to share her business. On her account, it is easily to find prices for different styles, hours of operation, and treatment facts. In addition, she posts pictures of lashes she has already done to show her work. The account looks professional with no personal information. Whereas her personal account shows more about her life. She posts selfies, pictures with friends and her opinion on social movement issues. If she combined both accounts, her page would not be professional which could affect her business.

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

Unfortunately, ones digital identity can be traceable from ones footprint. Based off a persons digital identity, other people can have a bias judgement on the person before meeting. Thus, ones digital identity is important to not share to much personal information. Specially employers looking before hiring someone. Ones digital identity becomes their first impression before a real interaction.

What does it mean to network using social media?

Social media has been a huge part of my life for over ten years, and will continue to be a huge aspect of my life. Social networking includes posting photos on instagram or facebook as well as communicating through emails, text messages and other instant messages. This allows people to stay connected with one another by always being able to connect through social media. The networking using social media allows people to share updates about their life to keep people up to date. For example, I posted the picture above to my instagram page to show my followers I am now back in Victoria and enjoying Thunderfest. Moreover, networking through social media also allows students to connect with each other and professors when not on campus. For example, because of COVID-19, all classes are through social media. The networking allows students and professors to interact via zoom and other online services. Without networking through social media, online classes would not be as successful as they currently are.

How are we motivated to participate in networked publics?

Networking through social media has greatly increased over the last decade. People depend on social media to engage with others. However, networking using social media has allowed people to share their opinions. There are many social movements such as black lives matter and the farmers in India, that become viral over social media. Individual’s can then choose to post on their own account to help spread the information about the movement. This motivates individuals to share their opinion about the matter. Moreover, individuals are motivated to network on social media to keep others updated. People can post pictures, status and messages about one’s life for followers to see. Some individuals feel the need to post, to show others the importance of one’s life. Furthermore, since COVID-19, networking through zoom has greatly increased. Zoom motivates students and faculty to engage in class material while interacting with others. Overall, there are many factors that lead individuals to network through social media.

What are the risks & rewards of public communications?

Unfortunately, networking through social media is not perfect. There are many downfalls and concerns that involve social media. To begin, cyberbullying is a huge concern for students using social media. Cyberbullying is other individuals bullying one online by sending negative messages or comments. However, individuals can hide their identity, therefore are able to bully others without anyone knowing who it is. Moreover, there is also limited privacy through media accounts. This means that an individual’s account can be seen by followers and people who do not follow. Individuals often add personal information to their media account that random people can see. This brings privacy concern to individuals, however, media also allows accounts to be private where only followers can see.

Furthermore, there are benefits regarding public media. Social media is a great way to raise awareness and money for important causes. For example, the UVic soccer team created a fundraiser to support their previous team captain who developed brain cancer. The soccer team made an account called vikeskickcancer to raise awareness for their fundraiser. The account also provided a link where people can donate to cancer research. Vikeskickcancer raised over 80,000 dollars from supporters. Without social media to help, the team may have not raised the same amount for cancer research.