This week’s assigned readings/videos covered digital identity and networking. Digital identity refers to the way in which individuals present themselves on various social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and others. Networking via social media helps you leverage these platforms and your digital identity to capitalize on opportunities, establish connections, and make use of your and others’ social presence. Digital identity is different for everyone, shaped by your engagement, digital tools you use, comments, posts, followers and following and your overall footprint on the internet. Depending on how you present yourself online, your digital identity can open up many doors leading to growth and success in many avenues. However, it also comes with drawbacks such as how people interpret your online presence and interpersonal connections.
In today’s world, depending on how you manage your social media presence having a digital identity can open and close doors of opportunities. An identity that was built over many years can be undermined by a single post, interaction and or comment. The downside to a digital footprint is that it encompasses every action you take on any platform on the internet. The upside especially following the pandemic is the economic growth having a digital footprint provides. it not only creates connections but it also allows you to have access to learning tools people wouldn’t otherwise have. the impact of having transparency and connectivity has ultimately led to economic growth all around the world. It has facilitated the expansion of businesses by allowing them to reach a larger scale of consumers.
social media presence and having a digital identity are categorized into controlled and uncontrolled realms. You can control what you present to social media but you are unable to control how it is interpreted, spread or talked about. Personally, this though has allowed me to reflect on what type of social media presence I encompass. I maintain a small social media presence accessible to people close to me. This approach allows me to be authentic and genuine with my online interactions. However, with social media growing rapidly, so are scams, AI, and people interpreting other people. Especially people with a large social media presence. Taking this into consideration, keeping your personal and professional social media presence separate is important. This gives you more control over each audience.
