Social media is so strange. It truly is another world and somehow slightly another limb to the anatomy of ones’ identity; which can be an unfortunate consequence when your privacy is not what you thought it was.
I have come to terms with the fact that I need to use all of my social media profiles as tools rather than a social playground to interact with friends in. I am currently taking an introductory course in sociology and I have learned and personally noticed the different languages I use with the different groups of people I interact with. I do not use the same vocabulary as I do when speaking to my family, professors, or friends. I present myself differently during certain circumstances but deep down I am still the same person with the same character and morals and beliefs. It is not that I am fake, it is more like a subconscious reflex that is driven to pursue appropriateness. Since my generation is using more social media and more of our random and nonsense blabber is being recorded and or documented on these social network sites, (sites that do not offer the amount of privacy we believe we have), it is in my best interest to keep a better eye on what I share on the web. These comments, shares and likes could somehow come back to haunt me, and cause others to form a misconception of who I truly am. After reading that Apps can gain access to your account and post, share, and like without your knowledge, I immediately began to investigate. Luckily I had not added any Apps to any of my profiles so there was no “cleaning up to do”. I would hate to think that some random nonsense that slipped out of my keypad in the mere half a second it took me to type it and perhaps had barely a millisecond of thought behind it, could cause any damage to my reputation and or brand.
“I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots”, said Albert Einstein. This generation is so locked into the bubble of their peers daily lives that we are not taking advantage of the tools that are at our finger tips. These social networks are like digital communities. Much of our free time is spent mindlessly lurking into the profiles and observing the posts that our “friends” have shared to our newsfeed. We are processing a lot of irrelevant information about others and failing to focus on ourselves or more important tasks at hand; and possibly sharing extraneous information about ourselves as well. Having a normal conversation with a stranger has turned into an almost extinct and absurd interaction, most people are too busy with their noses in their devices. “Social relationships are the primary focus of daily life” for young adults, which would explain why they would want a digital community of people their own age and thus flee Facebook due to the massive adult presence.
In a positive perspective, these new social media tools have been pushing me to know my brand and therefore, be my brand. These articles have really made me concentrate on figuring out who I want to share with the world. I have made a Linkedin, AboutMe, Twitter, and Goggle plus profile in the last three weeks. With so many new open slates to portray myself on, I feel like I can truly build a strong digital identity that is true to who I really am. After reading these articles I feel more aware and safe with the privacy settings I have set for my accounts. I feel determined to set a true projection of my character and brand on these sites.
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