Multiple Online Identities: Good or Bad?
Welcome to 2014, a time in which our personal quirks are embraced, opinions are voiced and now, more than ever, individual differences are being celebrated. The root of this can be seen developing on the internet, as people are encouraged to display their beliefs, opinions and personality, sometimes even reinventing themselves, through the medium of their personal profiles or blogs. These days, thanks to increasingly popular social media use, one is able to regularly update and maintain multiple online profiles, developing an online identity to fully reflect their offline personality. However, at the same time, as the internet develops at a rapid pace, we are opening ourselves up to increased risks of security breaches, which begs the question, to what extent should privacy issues be considered? Who are we connecting with and who really is watching us online?
I can’t count the number of news stories I have read regarding privacy issues online, whether that be someone posing as another person behind an online persona, or personal details being leaked and shared. It goes without saying that the internet is a vital tool, but one which must be used with caution. The reality of which we are constantly reminded of, is the fact that our personal details, digital footprint and identities are available for anyone to see; for example, in a less sinister way, future employers are increasingly more aware of our web presence, with a survey by Jobvite in 2012 showing that 92% of employers filtered their candidates through simple online searches. Dare you Google yourself?
The internet has allowed us to build online profiles for not only personal use but also, on a professional level, allowing us to connect with future employers. The dilemma facing a number of people, however, is in defining and judging the line between one’s private and professional life. As our digital footprint increases, it inevitably makes it harder to control what content remains public or private. (Costa & Torres, 2011) Additionally, keeping track of security and privacy issues surrounding different social networks proves more difficult, for example the ever changing Facebook policies.
Can someone have multiple online identities? When I Instagram a photo I have the option to share the photo to my Facebook and/or Twitter. As Gannes (2011) described, people have different associations with different online identities, and so the platforms to which I further share content varies. This is due to the expectation of my posts inducing different responses, depending on the audience of that social network, and whether that be private or public.
For example, below, the image on the left was shared to friends on Facebook as I felt that an image of my teammates and I is somewhat private and would be of little interest to the people following my other online ‘identity.’ Whereas the picture on the right was only shared to Twitter, using hashtags such as #travel, with the aim of connecting with a target audience who share a common interest. This attracted attention from Nao Travel (a Mexican travel magazine) as well as additional retweets from people within the travel industry. My Facebook friends know me personally, whereas my Twitter audience know little about me; arguably two different online identities? Or just the same person using different platforms for different purposes?
Is anonymity a bad thing? Personally, I started to build my online identity without even realising that my username would stick with me. As a teenager aware of the possible privacy issues surrounding the internet, I decided against adopting my full name on new social media platforms, due to a wish to remain slightly anonymous and as Andrew Lewman, executive director of the Tor Project (2012,) stated, “the ability to be anonymous is increasingly important because it gives people control, it lets them be creative, it lets them figure out their identity and explore what they want to do…” Instead, after returning from a life changing experience in Costa Rica, I adopted the motto by which they live, “Pura Vida,” and in doing so, my twitter account was created in 2009- @kim_puravida. Following on from this, I embraced the same username for my TravelPod account which I have used for 5 years now to blog my travels, my Instagram account and my limited YouTube account.
This year, I created my LinkedIn profile and I realised that kim_puravida, although in keeping with my online identity thus far, was not quite the professional profile I wanted to lead with, especially in front of prospective employers. Therefore, I decided to use my other, more appropriate, online username “kimberly.fenton” which is my facebook url, email address and now my new blog url. Two different usernames used to engage with people of different interests. Are these two different identities I’m using? Maybe. These account names are used for different purposes and I believe that it is ok to have two online identities depending on your goals, who you wish to connect with, and whether that be anonymously or not.
Upon choosing this module (#UOSM2008,) I debated whether to create a new twitter account or to change my username, but I realised that I have built connections with my pseudonym, and have almost 6 years of online footprints to retain. Kim_puravida hasn’t died, rather, I have now given the username more authenticity in choosing to add my full name to my Twitter account, and for the first time combine all my social media platforms on my new blog, giving no doubt as to who kim_puravida is, and the interests and experiences I wish to share.
I believe that if we can effectively use and manage our profiles to broaden our engagement online, multiple identities can be justified. One of the main concerns however, is ensuring that we can also manage our privacy. Here is a light-hearted video to finish, addressing the important question of whether we really know which online identities are genuine or fake, as unfortunately, there is a minority who use and abuse the power of the internet. “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog”
References:
Costa, C., & Torres, R. (2011). To be or not to be, the importance of Digital Identity in the networked society. Educação, Formação & Tecnologias, n.º extra, Abril de 2011, 47-53. http://eft.educom.pt.
Gannes, L. (2011) The Social Web’s Big New Theme for 2011: Multiple Identities for Everyone. All things D. [Online] Available at: http://allthingsd.com/20110101/the-social-webs-big-new-theme-for-2011-multiple-identities-for-everyone/ [Accessed: 18th February 2014]
Schawbel, D. (2012) How Recruiters Use Social Networks To Make Hiring Decisions Now [Online] Available at: http://business.time.com/2012/07/09/how-recruiters-use-social-networks-to-make-hiring-decisions-now/ [Accessed: 18th February 2014]
