How do you present yourself on social media platforms for personal use?
I undoubtedly present myself differently depending on which social media platform I’m using. There are several factors I try to consider when I post on social media:
- What are my privacy settings?
- Who is following me on this account?
- What is my goal with this post?
The main social media platforms I have used are FaceBook and Instagram. I monitor what I post on each of these platforms through different degrees of diligence depending on how I believe they are impacted by the questions above.
FACEBOOK: I generally consider FaceBook to be the social media platform in which I present myself the least “authentically”. My reasoning for this includes, being able to be searched by anyone, including potential employers and landlords, grandparents, and coworkers. My privacy settings are insubstantial, as I make a conscious effort to present myself somewhat professionally. This means that I sacrifice presenting myself in a way that conveys my real personality. Although my FaceBook account is technically for personal use, I maintain a degree of professional identity on the site by limiting the information I share and only posting respectful images.
INSTAGRAM: As I maintain a private setting on Instagram, I’m more lenient with my posts on this platform. I have control over who I allow to follow me, which makes me feel more comfortable showing more humourous aspects of my personality. I also have the opportunity to remove and block followers seamlessly, limiting the number of people my posts can reach. Thus, I post on Instagram more for fun and with greater ease.
How do personal versus professional approaches to digital identity affect social media use?
With respect to digital identity, it’s important to note that overall identity formation is socially created, encompassing the behaviours, beliefs , and knowledge of those around us (Ferreday, Jones, & Hodgson, 2006). When applying this to social media use, we can infer that social norms influence how we express our digital identities. Since there are specific social media sites that are intended for professional and/or personal use, individuals often conduct themselves according to the platform they’re using. Therefore, one may consider implementing their personal digital identity on a site, such as TikTok, differently from how they would use a professional digital identity on LinkedIn.
Examples of how different digital identities can influence the use of social media platforms:
| Professional Digital Identity | LinkedIn: Grammar, language, and tone are highly intentional. Digital identities are created on this platform specifically in order to seek employment, thus encouraging curated and professional profiles. Profile pictures are often headshots or professional-looking photos. FaceBook: To maintain professional boundaries, users may choose to limit sharing personal interests. Users may be less stringent on privacy, as they may only be using the app to showcase positive aspects of themselves. |
| Personal Digital Identity | Instagram: To promote a positive personal digital identity, users may share images of day-to-day life, including friends, family, and travelling. One may choose to keep their profile private or choose a username that isn’t their first + last name to maintain privacy. TikTok: The user can share content that represents their personality more authentically. They can post videos as means to express themselves, demonstrating talents, telling stories, or collaborating with friends. Users can feel more comfortable sharing personal content when using a private account. |
Looking ahead, how do you plan to manage your digital identity as social media continues to evolve?
I find myself becoming increasingly uninterested in posting on social media, and I imagine this will continue as time goes on. By posting less frequently, I hope to maintain a degree of privacy; however, I recognize that consistency in posting is necessary to maintain positive digital identity for professional purposes. Therefore, I will mainly post for the purposes of adding to my positive professional digital identity and limiting my engagement on personal social media accounts. I plan to do this by posting content related to my academic and vocational achievements on professional sites, such as LinkedIn.
My clinical colleagues often choose to use social media pseudonyms in order to be inaccessible to patients in non-work settings. Many of them use their middle names as their online last name, still keeping themselves accessible to coworkers who know them in real life. I plan to do the same to protect my privacy when I become more established in my career. As social media continues to evolve, I will continue to guide my choice of content by asking myself the same questions I do on current platforms (see content under my first header).
References
Ferreday D. Jones C. R. Hodgson V. (2006). Dialogue, language and identity: Critical issues for networked management learning. Studies in Continuing Education, 28(3). 10.1080/01580370600947389
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