Digital Identity
Digital identity is who a person presents to other netizens on the Internet. A person’s digital identity could show what they like, how they present themselves and their life online, who they see and talk to or any activities they could conduct online.
As the Internet becoming a necessary part of our life, digital identity is more important than ever. The video below explains what a digital identity is and why it is important. It also briefly explores the idea on how we could actively shape our digital identity.
Personal Versus Professional Digital Identity
Same as the different sides people have in our life, there are different aspects of digital identities one could show based on the scenarios of online interactions. We want to present our professional and capable sides when dealing with work related stuff, and kind and considerate towards friends and families. When it comes to the use of social media, the sides or identities we identify ourselves decides the functions of the social media we use.
When we want to present our professional and efficient sides, we use social media that focuses on efficiency and avoids personal information. While with our personal sides, we want to show the details of our life or share personal thoughts, feelings and connections.
The different kinds of use of social media are usually separate from one another and represent the different tags one person has.
Digital Identities Convergence and the Impacts/Benefits
Digital identities converge through personal networks such as personal learning network. Personal networks act like webs that reach out to other people while receiving the connections from others. It connects people from various fields, backgrounds, and break the barriers of location limits. It makes ideas wide-spread more easily and gives regular individuals more opportunities to express their voices.
It makes all voices heard, but at the same time, gives more chances for false ideas to be heard, shared and sometimes valued. As individuals, we should make use of our digital identity and expand our network for learning and creating good things. At the same time, we need to be aware of the negative impacts and be careful not to fall into the traps of false ideas or beliefs.
Leave a Reply