(W5) Digital footprints in social media: another complexity or opportunity

     What digital footprints do you want to leave? It is a signature concern in the era of technologies and information: a digital legacy that identifies a person. That adds to the legacy list the past generations normally cared about, such as properties they owned, good offspring they raised and educated, or fame they carried. Our generation (digital native, digital immigrant, digital adapter, and so on) needs to be mindful of what we are like in social media, let alone our own information in other internet activities. Does it sound like our life becomes more and more complex by being more and more public?

    It is complex though, but it must be helpful. Digital persona is used nowadays for various purposes, such as job recruitment, partnership verification, or dating exploration. Besides one's physical interactions and appearances which can be limited or fabricated, we seek for additional online evidences to gain more confidence about someone or some affairs. Losing trust or gaining confidence in others seem to define the success of a digital persona. For that reason, we build digital footprints in social media but also review others' persona and interactions.  

    To manage the intricacies caused by building one's digital footprints or caring about other digital footprints in social media, I come up with some resolutions: being clear of purposes, taking consistent actions and adapting to changes. Firstly, always let purposes guide us. The purposes will help us determine which audience our profile is for, what interactions or representations we should exhibit, and so one. Instead of throwing everything out, we become selective. However, authenticity needs to be the backbone or we can tend to fabricate stories. Second, the footprints should be created consistently or it will be confusing. We want to inform our new skill sets after graduating from ISLT, yet we hesitate or forget to share more after the first post of graduation milestone. We want to advertise a product or advocate a brand, but we rarely post how we truly relate to them. These are some examples amongst many. Lastly, changes are inevitable. I witnessed my friend changing her digital profile multiple times to accommodate her new job, as an insurance agent, a beauty product salesman, and a marketing manager. She has won my admiration for her courage to adapt.

    Any other ideas do you suggest to effectively build and manage digital footprints in social media while being carefree and authentic about that?

    

    

Comments

  1. Wile E. CoyoteJune 16, 2024 at 7:44 PM

    Pink, I can't help but consider the digital footprint I was creating as a teenager when I first began using the internet. Without a fully developed frontal lobe, it can be difficult for teens to make good choices. Without the proper guidance, it can also be difficult to understand the lasting repercussions of actions taken as a teen on the internet. While I think I made decent choices, I did go back years later and delete photo "dumps" on my Myspace and Facebook accounts.

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    1. SM PinkJune 22, 2024 at 9:30 AM

      It is very interesting to hear your view and real-life responses to the old-day digital footprints. Digital identity is quite a tricky business rite? Different pieces may affect how others perceive us, with or without our awareness. I did the same as you to some dump photos that my friends tagged me a long time ago, when social media was emerging and I started learning to use it once in a while. I kept some for a fun memory of that period though. It really comes down to how I want to present myself without any potential harm.

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