What is digital identity?

Digital Identity is tracked information and it is stored from everything you do on the internet. Digital identity is your presence online, from personal to professional accounts. Digital identity is an online version of you. It is important to be digitally aware of what you are posting online because keeping your online profiles private and secure helps to keep users safe online. Digital identity can be anything from accounts created online, online interactions, and written articles online. There are many different digital identities a person can have. Digital identity is important because it allows other people to view people a certain way online. For instance, if a person posted lots of drinking/fighting videos online and a future employer saw them, the employer would be less likely to hire them because they can see how they act. This is why being mindful of what you are posting is so important because in today’s age, AI can even warp or transform pictures of someone to make them look bad. This is because of information being easily accessible online. I found this video which helps to explain digital literacy really well. The youtube video below explains digital identity in only a few minutes! 

By U of G Library

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?

I have multiple social media accounts on different platforms, and I enjoy using social media. I try to present myself on social media in a “good light”. I don’t really post pictures ever on my main Instagram account, however, I do post photos or videos of fun things on my story. I like the idea of allowing people to see what I’m up to for 24 hours, instead of a picture always being posted for anyone to view. All of my social media accounts are private, and I believe it is important to have private accounts. This allows me to accept follow requests and to check different accounts out before I allow them to see what I am up to. I do like to share funny videos to my friends on social media from Instagram to Tiktok, which is what I do for the most part on social media. I feel as if I am very mindful on my social media accounts from pictures I post to interactions because I know info is stored. Keeping a good digital identity is important to me because I want to have a good digital footprint. 

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

Personal and professional approaches to digital identity affect the way people use social media. A personal approach on social media might include having a private profile or not posting much online. A more professional account would be a public account, allowing users to see and learn more about their product or service. I think a professional account has to be more conscious of their digital identity because more people would be viewing the account and what they post/interact with. If a professional service account tweeted something bad or made a rude comment online, that would negatively affect their digital identity, and many followers would see it. If you have a professional online presence and you aren’t mindful of what you are commenting or posting, it can ruin a reputation very fast. It is always good to have a personal and professional account as long as the two don’t get mixed up. This allows for the posting freedom with the personal account that a professional account is limited to. I think overall the way you post and what you say is largely based on the idea of a personal or professional account as you have to be careful.

By  Karsten WinegeartÂ