So where was I when this explosion of social media occurred? Was I too immersed in my studies to realize that there were so many technological movements happening?
The "Social media? Get serious! Understanding the functional building blocks of social media" reading by Kietzmann was eye-opening.
"These days, one witty tweet, one clever blog post, one devastating video...can snowball and kill a product or damage a company's share price." Or someone's reputation for that matter. It is terrifying to know that not understanding such a powerful tool like social media can be detrimental to your company, career, and/or reputation. More importantly, being ignorant to what social media does with with your information can also have an impact, whether you are aware of it or not.
What caught my eye in the reading was how the author breaks down social media into seven functional blocks. The first block being "Identity". As you probably can tell by my handle as well as my first blog post, I like the idea of being anonymous on these social media platforms. But even with my name being hidden, I still display an "identity" through my interactions with others, my comments, what I click on, and even how many times I log in on a given day.
Not only do my actions on these social media outlets create an identity but my 'data' can be sold off to the highest bidder. Being that I was only part of Facebook before this class, I went ahead and researched what Facebook actually does with my 'data'. I vaguely had an understanding that Facebook uses my information but I had no idea exactly what they use or how they use it.
http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-gadgets/how-facebook-sells-your-personal-information-130124.htm
After reading this article, I am more aware of what i signed up for with Facebook as well as what the word "Identity" really means. I can gain control of what I put out there by being aware of the information I post, what photos and articles I am tagged in, as well as the sites I 'like'.
I do not want to come off as someone who does not like social media. I just want to be fully aware of what I am getting myself into when I subscribe to these social media platforms.
What are some steps that you have taken to control the identity that you have published on social media?
I found myself wondering the same thing, where was I when social media blasted off? I feel like I was hibernating and and when I woke up there were so many different social media platforms I just didn’t know even existed. I’ve been learning about all sorts of new social media platforms and trying to figure out which ones are a fit for me and which ones I can continue ignoring.
ReplyDeleteSamantha,
DeleteThank you for your post. I do agree that there are some platforms that we "can continue ignoring". Some platforms are not the right fit for everyone and that should be considered before creating an account. However, I never thought about blogging before and now, after having to create a blog, I seem to be enjoying the experience. I guess trying out a platform could be a possibility before completely taking it off your list.
I have focused on different identities in different environments. I have some places where I interact under my real name, and others with pseuds. In each case, I try to post in a manner consistent with that identity. And I always follow the rule that if I can't deal with my best friends, worst enemy, boss, neighbor and grandma reading it, then I don't post it.
ReplyDeleteThank you V!
DeleteI like your rule. It is similar to the idea of not putting something out there if you don't want it coming back to you. How do you keep track of which identity is being used where? I guess I understand your point. Right now in my dog communities that I am following I have a different identity compared to the identity I have in this class.
Interesting question! In general, my first step when I sign up for social media platforms are the privacy settings. However, in principle, I know it should be a glance through the terms of service. ;) Once I get my privacy settings where I like them, I tend to control my identity through self-censorship. I've been struggling with that recently (it's not very honest, after all), but it's what I do!
ReplyDeleteThank you for those tips learninglust! I should try to make an effort in really understanding the privacy settings before I sign up for something. You bring up an interesting topic of self-censorship. How should we censor ourselves appropriately? Where can we 'let loose'? Where should we be more formal? These platforms really give us the freedom to be any level of honest we wish to be.
Delete