Topic 3: Reflection

Throughout the last few days, my understanding of online identities has largely deepened, owing to interactions with both colleagues’ own posts and comments within my own.

Comments on my Post

Challenging questions posed on my online identities post led to interesting additional research. The table below summarises each comment, in addition to how they shaped my own comprehension.

Dekkers (2018) created with the software Piktochart
Carl’s comment, Nikhita’s comment, Karishma’s comment, Tom’s comment

Others Posts

Reading Tewsdae’s post this week brought my attention to authenticity on the Web. Explaining that we still hold as a genuine individual, despite adjusting our character in different company, caused me to question if a loss of authenticity is not such a significant drawback from possessing multiple identities online as I originally thought.

Also regarding authenticity, Nikhita’s post stated that maintaining a single identity across all platforms is more integral. Researching singular identities, I found an article challenging this statement, which suggested that people generally portray the best version of themselves online and therefore, is anyone ever truly authentic on the Web (Dansky, 2017). This led to an interesting discussion, to which we both agreed authenticity is improving on the Web, owing to increased discussion of sensitive topics on social media (such as mental health and the #metoo campaign).

Furthermore, Nikhita suggested that transitioning into working life may change the need for multiple identities online. This led to my understanding that age and employment status are other contextual factors influencing the number of identities we have, solidifying my opinion that online identities is a circumstantial matter.

Conclusion

Despite holding the same original conclusion, in that the number of online identities a person holds should be circumstantial and down to each individual, connecting with others has introduced lots of factors I hadn’t considered. Additionally, my opinion has altered that authenticity shouldn’t be assumed with a singular identity and discounted with multiple identities.

[Word count: 299]

Bibliography

Dansky, J. (2017) The Struggle to Stay Authentic on Social Media. Available from: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/jordan-dansky/the-struggle-to-stay-authentic-on-social-media_b_9563234.html

My comment on Nikhita’s post
My comment on Tewsdae’s post

Topic 3: Singular vs. Multiple Online Identities

What is an Online Identity?

60 billion online identities in today’s World (Versace, 2014), but what does it really mean to hold one? The short introductory video below aims to summarise some definitions and terminology.

Dekkers (2018) created using the software Powtoon
Information from Costa and Torres (2011)

Making informed decisions is crucial when establishing your first or an additional online identity and it is personal preference that determines how many to possess.

Singular Online Identity

Having a single online identity for either social, professional or a mixture of purposes has its benefits and drawbacks.

Firstly, you are less likely to be a victim of stolen identity. The less people display online, the harder it is for fraudsters to access necessary information. Furthermore, a person is far easier to contact if they have one online identity. However, people holding one online identity are unlikely to hold anonymity (Costa and Torres, 2011). This could mean they hold back some opinions (e.g. political views).

Multiple Online Identities

Numerous online identities can increase “…our ability to communicate and connect with different audiences through different voices online” (Casserly, 2011).

Separating our personal and professional life through multiple online identities can be hugely advantageous. It enables selectivity of information to be public or private.

However, having multiple identities can be regarded by some as unusual and raises eyebrows about which persona is genuine can be trusted. Garling (2011) counteracts this point by suggesting we carry over multiple identities in real life. It is unlikely we communicate similarly in the company of our friends compared with our bosses at work, so there shouldn’t be an issue with the same online.

The infographic below summarises the main advantages and disadvantages to a singular and multiple online identities.

Dekkers (2018) created using the software Piktochart
Information from Costa and Torres (2011)

Conclusion

To conclude, I believe that neither multiple or singular online identities unanimously overrides the other. I think it is circumstantial, who you are and how you utilise the Web, that determines that optimal number of identities for you.

[Word count: 298]

Bibliography

Casserly, M. (2011) Multiple Personalities and Social Media: The Many Faces of Me. Available from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2011/01/26/multiple-personalities-and-social-media-the-many-faces-of-me/#21c12eb76d51

Costa, C. and Torres, R. (2011) To Be or Not To Be, The Importance of Digital Identity in a Networked Society. Available from: http://eft.educom.pt/index.php/eft/article/view/216/126  

Garling, C. (2011) Save the Pseudonyms: Why Having Multiple Online Personalities Is Not A Disorder. Available from: https://www.digitaltrends.com/opinion/save-the-pseudonyms-why-having-multiple-online-personalities-is-not-a-disorder/

Versace, M. (2014) 50 to 60 Online Identities, and Counting. Available from: https://idc-community.com/financial/financial-services-technology/50_to_60_billion_digital_identities_and_counting