What does it mean to network using social media?
Social media is technology utilized by most of society in today’s age, including myself. Social media allows people to contribute to social networking by sharing various pieces of information including photos, personal or educational videos, news articles, opinions, and much more. For myself and my peers, social media allows for us to stay connected and share important parts of our lives. With the effects of COVID-19, people have been prevented from important human connection that has a particularly large impact on young people’s lives. Networking through social media has allowed for people to stay connected in a safe manner during the pandemic and engage in necessary social interaction. Further, social media has allowed for students to still attend university classes via zoom and connect with other students as well as professors. Many companies and businesses have also moved online and now conduct meetings and other events on zoom as well. Networking through social media has become increasingly more prevalent emerging from the pandemic and suggests a new world of work and communication.
How are we motivated to participate in networked publics?
The use of social media has increased dramatically over the last few years, leading to a surge of public opinion and news reports that are now widely accessible to the public. Social media also allows for people to readily share such information with others, promoting the spread of information not only among friends and family, but globally. With an increase in networking through social media during the COVID-19 pandemic, many social movements have emerged including Black Lives Matter, climate change protests, and more locally, the Fairy Creek Blockade. Incidents posted to social media have sparked massive social movements that have caught the attention of the government and various people of authority that have led to real changes in legislation and governing. In addition, people are motivated to update each other on their lives via social media through sharing various photos, comments, or videos. With school moving online for most of the world over the past year, students are motivated to participate in zoom to interact with classmates and professors in order to support better learning.
What are the risks & rewards of public communications?
There are several risks to public communications, one being the spread of misinformation. This is particularly dangerous as it can affect the integrity of politics, news information and general knowledge. Public communications can also help perpetuate the use of cancel culture which is especially prevalent today. Cyberbullying and social peer pressure are also very common due to social media and can result in many people struggling with mental health and self-assurance. The increase in public communications can also cause people to spend too much time on social media and disengage from important, real-life connections, which can also lead to a deterioration in mental health.
In contrast, there are many rewards that come from public communications, including the fostering of important social movements discussed above. Social media also helps raise money for important local and global issues such as GoFundMe campaigns for the Vancouver Aquarium, the George Floyd Memorial Fund, and the America’s Food Fund. Public communications also allow for easy and instant communication between friends and family, the public and political parties, the public and government and many more. This allows for people to easily obtain news information and supports more opportunities for business owners. For instance, many businesses have been able to survive through the pandemic because of the possibilities that are offered through public communications.
What is digital identity?
Digital identity is one’s personal data that is found online that can be comprised of characteristics such as medical history, date of birth, search history, photos posted to social media, username and passwords, social security number, and more (Jawed et al., 2019). This data can be traced back to real people which makes individual privacy and digital identity theft a large concern. One’s digital identity is accessible to the public and can therefore affect job opportunities, university acceptances and overall reputation that can never be completely erased. For instance, people who post offensive comments on social media such as Twitter leave an online footprint that may have a negative impression on viewers which will likely follow them into the future.
Digital identities can also be fabricated to hide one’s true identity. For example, many people will post to social media sharing staged or edited posts, which makes them appear a certain way to their followers. In reality, the people posting behind the screen may not live the extravagant or “perfect” life they choose to share online.
How do personal versus professional approaches to digital identity affect social media use?
Several businesses and companies utilize social media to advertise their product or brand. They do so by creating professional and creative social media pages to attract potential customers and encourage them to buy into what they’re selling. Alternatively, the goal of personal digital identity is to share personalized information with viewers that involve emotions and individual passions.
For instance, my friend recently launched a sustainable swimsuit brand during the pandemic and was able to attract customers through the use of social media. She created an Instagram page for her brand that included creative advertisements showcasing her swimsuits, a link to the brand website, and prices of the swimsuits. On the other hand, her personal digital identity consists of pictures from vacations and daily life, and opinions on certain political or social issues. Combining these two social media accounts would decrease the professionality of her brand and would likely result in less customer support.
How do digital identities converge in networked publics – what are the impacts and/or benefits?
Because one’s digital identity can be accessible to the public, people can have preconceived notions about someone before actually meeting in person. Therefore, it is essential to limit the amount of information one shares online in order to protect certain people from viewing one’s personal information. For instance, employers may conduct background checks on people before potentially hiring them and can readily find information online which can leave a lasting impression.
References:
Jawed, S., Mahboob, U., & Yasmeen, R. (2019). Digital professional identity: Dear Internet! Who am I? Retrieved September 25, 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31512590
