1) What is a digital identity?

Digital identity is an individual’s presence online in the digital world known as the internet. It is comprised of everything an individual decides to post, share, comment on, like, or view on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn. As in the real world, the group of individuals you decide to associate yourself with become a representation of who you are, similarly, in the online world, the groups you decide to join, or the connections you choose to make with people you may or may not know become a representation of who you are as a person.

Once something is posted online, it is almost impossible to get rid of it. Your photos, videos, posts all become a digital footprint and can be traced back to you at any time. Although you do have the option to only share your data with your followers or friends, nothing will ever be extremely confidential. When I search up my own name on Google, I can see Prezi presentation that I created many years back pop up in the results. Additionally, I can also see my profile pictures that I have posted on LinkedIn in the results. The interesting part is, that my previous profile picture that I had deleted from LinkedIn also appears during my google search! This is a great example of how even deleted data will still be visible and nothing can disappear in the digital world!

 

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

Many people choose to create two separate accounts on the same social media platform to divide their personal and professional lives. Often personal accounts contain more sensitive information such as your family life and also includes more about who you are as a person outside of the workplace. It may include information about your hobbies, favorite places to visit, and pictures of your summer holidays. A personal social media platform usually only contains followers or friends that the individual knows personally. In contrast, professional accounts are usually strictly related to the work your do. For example, a person who runs a jewelry business may have multiple images of their artistic work to show the public and increase their demand. These professional accounts may be followed by thousands of people that the account holder may not know personally. These followers may even be from across the globe who find inspiration in the work done by the jeweler.

 

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

Digital identities can help a person to put forward their most authentic self, something they may not be able to do in the real world if they are an extreme introvert or get nervous and anxious around people. The opposite is also true. If a person feels they do not fit in with the people around them, they may create a digital identity that is based on what others like and do. These individuals tend to seek validation from their group members and friends online to “fit in”.

An increase use in social media platforms especially in the younger generation seem to also have negative impacts on their mental health. Over the years we have seen mental health cases increase drastically and I believe a big reason for that is not making real connections with the people we are around. Instead we are getting sucked into a virtual world, where people are showcasing their “perfect” lifestyles. This unreal perfection that youngsters perceive often makes them feel less confident in themselves and their abilities leading to immense mental health issues.