Digital Identity: Privacy, Presence, and Professionalism

Photo by Hirzul Maulana on Unsplash

Digital Identity: Personal vs. Professional

It is extremely important to differentiate between a personal and professional digital identity because you are essentially showcasing different parts of your life to meet different goals. Personal digital identity refers to how we display and express ourselves and use digital platforms in a social way. This often involves interacting with and sharing content that we find personally interesting. For example, posting a picture skiing with friends on snapchat. Professional digital identity is similar in the way that you are presenting yourself in a certain way, however this would involve professional goals, which would be characterized by different things, like creating a LinkedIn profile for potential employers to review, or participation in class discussions. Much of the time, what you may share in a personal digital platform would not align with professional goals. For example, selling something inappropriate on your company’s marketplace would be deemed as unprofessional and can impact your professional reputation, employment opportunities and more. This is why we must create boundaries between our personal and professional digital identities.

I follow multiple practices to manage the boundary between my personal and professional identity, such as:

• Privacy settings: I keep my social media accounts (e.g. Instagram) private and only allow appropriate people to follow and engage with my content.
• Mindfulness on social media networks: I ensure that if I am publicly engaging on digital platforms to use careful language, as oftentimes people can access this information without my knowledge. I avoid posting anything I wouldn’t want an employer or professor to see.
• Separate accounts: I use different platforms for different reasons. For example, I use Instagram solely for personal reasons and use LinkedIn solely for professional reasons. If I ever did need to use Instagram for a professional reason, I would create a separate account to initiate a boundary.
• Self-searching: I oftentimes will search myself up on platforms, including google, to monitor what my digital identity looks like from the outside. I haven’t encountered a time where I found something I didn’t like, but if I did, I would adjust accordingly (e.g. delete a photo).

Digital Visitor and Resident Map

According to the YouTube video in this week’s module “Visitors and Residents,” a visitor and resident map can be used to explain digital engagement motivation. It maps our use of online platforms. The following terms can be used to explain our activity on the map:

• Resident: we are choosing to go online to be present with other people. We leave a social trace that remains when we go offline. This includes posting TikTok’s or Instagram photos, commenting on reddit, or posting on a LinkedIn profile. This kind of activity is linked to our identity.
• Visitor: we think of web tools. we use this to achieve things. we use it as a tool and put it back and close a lid. This does not leave a social trace. This includes activities such as searching up when Henry the 8th was born on google (without signing in), reading reddit posts without commenting, or scrolling Pinterest for outfit ideas.
• Personal: this means we use web tools for personal reasons, interests, or social relationships. For example, using Instagram to post pictures for your friends to see, or using it to watch cooking videos.
• Institutional/Professional: this means we use web tools for professional purposes, such as school or work. For example, I use email every day at work, YouTube for school, and network on LinkedIn

Digital Map Sections Explained

Feature	Definition	Visibility	Example
Institutional	Work/Education	Can be visible or invisible	LinkedIn post about a new position or emailing your professor a question
Personal	You and your interests	Can be visible or invisible	Posting a get ready with me video or creating a Pinterest board
Visitor	Used to achieve things	Mostly invisible (no social trace)	Searching a fact on google
Resident	Using the platform to “live” or have a prescence	Highly visible (identity focused with a social trace)	Posting and interacting with people regarding your daily life on Instagram

My Digital Map

It is important to note that the map is a continuum, meaning that platforms can be used across different quadrants and are not meant to be exclusive to one area. For example, I placed TikTok overlapping between personal and institutional as I use it for personal entertainment and for studying purposes, equally. I placed it as highly visible as I post content on TikTok. I use reddit only for personal reasons and typically only read posts with an occasional comment, which is why reddit is placed there on the map. On Instagram, I frequently post and share my life, while interacting with others. I only use Pinterest for browsing aesthetic inspiration like room decorations and outfits; however I do not have a public presence or post anything, which is why it is placed highly visitor/personal.

Theories of Personalized Learning

Theories of personalized learning, including constructivism and self-directed learning, explore how effective learning is when it is focused on the learner; when individual needs, strengths, and challenges are accounted for.

	Constructivist Theory	Self-Directed Learning Theory
What is it?	Building knowledge through experiences (learners construct their own understanding), learning builds upon what is already known	Students are encouraged to set their own goals and autonomy is promoted
Example	Open ended discussions where everyone can share their thoughts	An assignment where a student has creative freedom on their approach or ways to showcase their knowledge

Personalized learning makes me feel empowered because I can use my strengths to figure out a topic or task. I also notice that when my learning is more flexible, it is a more enjoyable experience overall, which boosts my internal motivation to succeed. For example, in one of my Psychology classes, we were given a few options for our term assignments: an essay, a creative art piece, or a PowerPoint. Not only were these great options for demonstrating my knowledge, but it allowed me to find strengths and enjoyment in areas I was not expecting. For my first assignment, I opted for the essay route as I have lots of experience in writing essays. I got a mark I was not happy with, so I then tried the PowerPoint option, where I not only could have more fun with, but I also received a better mark on. I felt empowered that I figured this out on my own, instead of being given a blueprint by my professor.

I find that personalized learning has taught me time management skills. I can work at my own pace, based on what I know my strengths and challenges are. For instance, I know that it takes me ages to write an essay, so I can allot more time to that, but the reference page, I can complete in 10 minutes. Therefore, I can use my personal experiences to prioritize my time accordingly. I think I have also developed adaptability, as we saw in my example of choosing a different approach for my Psychology assignment, where I can pivot when necessary.

Privacy, Surveillance, and Digital Footprint Awareness

A digital footprint refers to the data trace that is left behind each time the internet is used, including social media posts, search history, and online purchases. It is essential to be aware of this as much of the time, your online activity is undergoing surveillance. Companies, governments, and more, frequently track and store data to analyze behaviour and predict future actions. This is why when you click on one advertisement, it continues to pop up over and over again. As mentioned in the article by Regan and Jesse (2018), this is a concern in the educational space when using technological resources. Edtech apps can observe and track students, where small details such as how long it takes to answer a question, can be gathered and possibly used for predicting and determining student learning patterns. Furthermore, there is no clear jurisdiction over who owns student records when using edtech companies (the school or the edtech company), and current FIPPs are oftentimes outdated in addressing the amount of and complexity of data these companies have.

It is extremely important to be aware of and take privacy measures to protect personal information, including the following:

• educate yourself on data collection and use
• advocate for transparency from digital companies
• be mindful of the tools you are using (notice and research concerning patterns you see from certain digital platforms)
• be careful of what you do/post online

For additional information on taking privacy measures, watch this video on how to protect your data online:

Thank you for reading!