Month: September 2022 (page 1 of 1)

What is a digital identity?

Your digital identity is made up of the content you produce and publish across social media platforms, how you interact with people, how you utilize technology for personal benefit, how you educate yourself and others, how you learn, and how you work. This is your digital identity (What is Digital Identity?, Eric Stoller, 2016). What a person curates and posts online accounts as an additional portion of their identity. Your digital identity is your footprint on the web; every step you take online represents this digital identity. Within my personal learning network group, we spoke about the guidelines for a digital identity, how it’s defined, and what constitutes as controlled vs uncontrolled media. Personally, I identified a form of my own controlled media as my personal Instagram page — where I post personal pictures to friends I personally know. This is a raw reflection of my personal identity in an online form. On the other hand, an example of uncontrolled media I identified was the sociology course union Instagram I run, in which I post information about upcoming events. These are thus screenshotted and reposted, making the content I once posted now in the hands of others to control. This exercise with my peers helped me to realize the level of free rein on the web, and made me question the degree of the things I share on the internet are controlled versus uncontrolled.

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

The way a personal versus professional approach to digital identity affects social media use differs based on the intention it is used for and what would be posted on it. In simpler words, a person might not be inclined to post what they normally would on their personal account, than they would onto their professional display. Like the Jawed et al. article mentions, an example would be medical students, in which they communicate on social media through professional ways (Digital professional identity: Dear Internet! Who am I?, 2019). This further made me think of what Eric Stoller mentioned briefly about our digital identity acting as a pre-interview in creating, designing, and showcasing who we are (What is Digital Identity?, 2016). Therefore, someone pursuing medical school or is looking for a job in the medical field would most likely not intersect their personal and professional digital identity together, as a diminished career could easily become the result. Additionally, the way you interact on personal social networks differs from the way you do on professional social networks. One might be more relaxed with what they post on their personal networks, whereas you might think twice about it professionally. For example, take into account the uses of Facebook versus LinkedIn. Facebook is where you would post personal things to a network of people (your family/friends etc.), and LinkedIn is where you post about your experiences and accomplishments. Although you have connections to networks in both approaches through connections, values, and interests, the way you share elements of your identity differs. You would not post what restaurant you’re eating at on LinkedIn, just how you would not usually post about your last job description on your Facebook account.

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

We have access to an enormous world of information on the internet, where there are countless opportunities for learning. As we use our digital identities to create presence and voice, it also enables us to establish ideas and educate ourselves on specific subjects. I was able to recognise the significance of digital identity in the field of politics from the video ‘Press Conference The Value of Digital Identity for the Global Economy and Society, Davos, 2019’ and how it has aided in increasing social and political inclusion because more information is now accessible online. Additionally, how the protection of rights have become more available through digital identities. The ways digital identities thus converge in networked publics would be through leisure spaces. People incorporate their digital identities into various social networks, which causes the formation of online communities. These social networks serve as a space for creating a sense of association, community, and commonality (Identity Making and Social Media). To expand, people identify and thus use the internet as a foundational way of creating networks with people who share similar values, interests, and beliefs. Ultimately, the way we combine and harmonize our digital identity with social networks has evidently proved its existence in leisure spaces. Thus, we depend on these spaces to encourage social interaction, community building, and the development of a sense of identity.

References

Digital professional identity: Dear Internet! Who am I? Jawed S, Mahboob U, Yasmeen R – Educ Health

Identity-Making and Social Media

Press Conference The Value of Digital Identity for the Global Economy and Society, Davos 2019

What is Digital Identity, Eric Stoller 

Every day, whether online and offline, we all engage in regular interactions with a network of a variety of people, technological tools, information sources, and services. We utilize this network whenever, wherever, and as we see fit, including at work, school, and home. Technologies profound and rapid advancement has completely reframed the way we now communicate and foster relationships. In understanding and applying personal learning networks to these connections, we must identify how the functionality and practicality of technology exists to easily generate and maintain these networks.

As interconnected and networked individuals, we must recognize the profound role of technology in the way “we communicate, study, and work together and how we create and share ideas” (Future Learn). A personal learning network is a network created by an individual with the goal of creating and sustaining relationships with other people and improving their learning abilities while utilizing technology to facilitate these activities.

Maintaining these networks, from an individuals perspective, is advantageous in the development at a personal level. For example, being able to connect and thus create networks of people through shared similar interests of beliefs enriches the quality of our personal lives. Additionally, from a professionals perspective, these learning networks are essential for innovation and for connecting new, dependable networks. The active reward of personal and/or professional benefits motivate us in our continual presence in these networks. Additionally, the always-ongoing and inevitable advancement of technology pushes us to continue to act, learn, and exercise these networks to maintain our positions within these networks.

Technology has become overly accessible, and almost necessary in full communication with others. For example, as a university student, email is a crucial part in communicating with professors and other students. Technology has progressed both in function and practicality that online identities are essential for the success of a student. Speaking with my group-mates on Mattermost is another example – in which we have created our own learning network where we share our own personal ideas and discuss. In this exchange of information, we are actively strengthening our understanding of the material, and ultimately broadening our comprehension of the topic. This is one of the rewards of public communication that I’ve identified – it is the ability to share and interpret other perspectives in hopes of enhancing your own personal learning. Everything and anything is within reach, and there is a plethora of information available to access and in return share.

Within my group, one of the risks we discussed was the not-so-obvious unknown of what happens to our posts once we share them on social media, and how technology tracks our everyday lives. We looked at the significant degree to which social media and technology have permeated our lives and the effects that this may have. We discovered that everything we do online—including the searches we conduct, the purchases we make, the texts we send to friends, and the things we say aloud—is constantly being watched and collected as data in order to serve us with adverts based on our online behaviour. We talked about how it seems like our technology is listening in on us and observing everything we say and do. To preserve our privacy and identity, we believe it is crucial to be cautious about the things we post and say online.

Hi everyone!

My name is Beliz and I am now a fourth year student here at UVic. I’m originally from Edmonton, AB but I moved to Victoria 3 years ago. I’m a sociology major – which I absolutely love – but I also have a passion for education, and therefore I’m enrolled in this class to meet my education minor requisite. I’m working closely with other sociology students in running the Bureau of Sociology Students (BOSS), which is something I’m looking forward to this year! If there are any other social science students, please reach out to me! I’d love to meet others regardless. I took EDCI 335 last summer, which has a very similar set-up to this class, so I’m relieved that I have previous experience in guiding the not-so-usual set up of this class!

Here’s a small glimpse of how my summer went; it created a very relaxing start for my fourth year:

Looking forward to working with everyone!