Blog Post #2

My idea of digital identity is when computer systems take information about a person from what they post or share or search etc and generate a profile off of that. These digital identities help for security and gaining information. Personally I feel like I present myself on social media platforms in a respectful manner. I use instagram, tiktok, snapchat, and facebook. On all of these platforms I am cautious with what I post, share, repost, and who I allow to follow me. The type of content I share is mainly based on things I am doing in life, I like to think of it as a little memory scrapbook. I only use facebook for marketplace where I buy and sell products which I think is an efficient way of shopping but also I have to be cautious about scammers and who you are sharing certain information with. I manage my privacy by having my accounts private. My accounts are private so I can manage who I allow to follow me and see my post especially since it is about my life and what I am doing. 

Steps I take to maintain a professional image online is I only share content I am comfortable sharing and that is appropriate. I also may pay close attention to what I am liking on social media and accounts I follow so it does not give off the wrong idea to the wrong person and someone tries to read into it. My cousin was once caught with not having a professional image online and did not get into a certain school on a swimming scholarship for this reason. Personal versus professional approaches to digital identity affect social media use by how people share their content. If you are using social media for personal use you’re usually sharing more things about your life, looking for casual interactions, and you could have more focus on your privacy settings. Whereas someone using social media for a professional approach the content they share is more public and direct to a certain audience, they’re trying to network with other people and accounts, and they are sharing more professional content about a subject. Many people use social media for different reasons and could have both a personal and a professional account that they use daily reaching different audiences. 

Some challenges with maintaining a personal and professional identity is always being away with who you’re interacting with and who is interacting with you. While on social media you always have to have your guard up to make sure that the things you are doing are responsible and won’t diminish you in anyways. Benefits with maintaining both digital identities allows someone to interact and connect with different groups and have more collaboration through platforms. To ensure they complement rather than conflict with one another is to make sure through all socials the idea of the same message is being presented and shared with others. Looking ahead, the way I plan to manage my digital identity as social media continues to evolve is to always be aware of who I am interacting with and who I am allowing to interact with my account. I will always keep in check of my privacy settings and stay up to date about the ways different social media apps are changing their privacy policies and making sure they are fitting within my guidelines. Steps I will take to adapt to new platforms and trends while maintaining a consistent positive digital presence is to make sure the things I am posting are consistent and do not conflict with one another.