Can I see your ID please?

Our identities are complex and multifaceted. They are constantly evolving and being influenced by external factors. So, it makes perfect sense that this would also be the case for online identity.  If we can even call it that in this technological age, a time where we are constantly online and we never really log out or turn off our computers. Perhaps our online identity is just simply, our identity, full stop.  But where does the power lie? With us, the creator of our online selves? Or do our curated online identities influence and inform who we are too?

When interacting online we reveal our identities ‘on different sites with the expectation [that] different audiences [require] different norms’ (Cinque,T 2015, pp.79). While I agree wholeheartedly with this statement, I am skeptical of the notion that this means we procure false identities when representing ourselves online. It is far more likely that we allow different facets of our diverse selves to be showcased according to the customs and intended use of a particular platform. The user names we adopt, the carefully selected profile photos, and the small two line biographies we all write are always strategically chosen to suit the platform’s standard and are indicative of our aims behind using that digital platform.

Using myself as a case study, this can be seen very clearly when flipping through a variety of the social media platforms that I utilise. My Instagram account username is ‘lipsticks_make_me_blush’. It is a username that has no similarities to my birth name but upon closer readings of it, is highly insightful as to who I am as a person on Instagram. I am a member of the LGBT community, and fall heavily into the ‘lipstick’ sub stereotype within it, and am also very passionate about makeup and cosmetics. It is a play on words that gives a brief mention to two aspects of my identity that I deem important, and hints at the content I post on my Instagram account.  I use this platform only in my personal life to post about happenings and activities I do throughout my week. However, the content I post is not always a true representation of my everyday life. I post only when I’m doing something interesting or important. Everything from the image, to the captions and hashtags, are carefully curated and edited multiple times to showcase myself at my most interesting, entertaining, and attractive self. Polletti and Rak wrote that ‘Identity is the expression of consciousness that is continuous over time, but identity is also a product’ (Poletti, A and Rak, J 2014, pp. 8), a product that us, as individuals and creators, make all the branding and marketing decisions for.  I could say I use the Instagram casually, but in reality that is certainly not the case. My Identity and self expression on the platform are true and honest, but they only reveal particular aspects of myself that I choose.

Screencap of @lipsticks_make_me_blush @18.12.16

Screencap of @lipsticks_make_me_blush @18.12.16

As much as I believe that I control my online persona and the representation of myself that I put out, I also strongly agree that my online identity has a significant amount of power over who I am offline and my own personal development. ‘Identity formation is undoubtedly impacted by social media experiences’ (Newman, M 2015, pp 222), and the representations of ourselves we put online usually are slowly realised and become more significant to our identity. Social media is often a method we choose to utilise for self discovery and self growth; where we can track our progress and success, or lack thereof. The online world, with its options of pseudonymity, seems to offer the perfect place for experimentation with our identity; we are able to express and develop different aspects of our identity with the false belief that it is separate from ourselves. However, this is a huge misconception. People will generally discover that as their pseudonymous persona grows it cements itself as one of the many facets of their identity.

This is something that I have found to be very true through personal experience. Throughout the last six months of my university course, I have been required to write blog posts and utilise a Twitter account for assessment. Two things that I had previously not associated myself with in a very firm way. Though here I am months after the completion of those units, and I have moved my blog posts from the unit blog forum to a public access blog provider, and I have continued to write regularly in a professional manner about media and public relations topics. I now check my Twitter feed each morning, and at several points during my days, and I have also begun to not just retweet or share interesting articles, but get involved. I have shared my own images and promote my blogs. I reply to other people’s tweets and respond to polls. Using Twitter and writing blogs because I have had to, have in effect, changed who I am. I am now a regular blogger and a daily user of Twitter.

Screencaptures of @ellen_emary

But even beyond this shift in my identity, is how I have strategically represented myself on these platforms and how these calculated choices have had real influence over my identity. I started my public blog and twitter with the hopes of improving my professional skills, expanding my knowledge, and beginning to build a credible professional identity. To evolve from a nervous student, to an employable and practiced PRP was my goal, and surely I am improving. My own perception of myself, and hence my identity, is more professional, educated, and experienced than it was prior to my exposure to blogging and Twitter. I have become more motivated and inspired to continue to grow my online persona beyond university units. Through establishing a professional online identity I have increasingly begun to see myself as this online persona and view it as another facet of my identity.

Made via Eas.ly 18.12.16

References:

Cinque,T 2015, Changing Media Landscapes: Visual Networking, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, AU, pp 79

Poletti, A and Rak, J 2014, ‘Introduction: digital dialogues’, in Poletti, A and Rak, J, Identity Technologies: Constructing the Self Online, The University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, pp. 8.

Newman, M 2015,’ Image and Identity: Media literacy for young adult Instagram users’, in Visual Inquiry: Learning and Teaching Art, Intellect ltd, Bristol, UK, pp.222.

Further reading on online identity.

 

Broader Online Activity
In relation to the unit ALC203, I have become quite active in the unit discussions that occur across the online platforms. I have utilised Twitter well, by posting regularly and checking the #alc203 daily to keep up to date with the thread and to engage with my peers through likes and replies. I have followed numerous other students enrolled in the ALC203 or ALC703 and have enjoyed responding to their tweets. I have also began a WordPress for myself where I have written almost weekly blog posts about unit related topics. I have enjoyed writing these to further my own understanding of the unit and sharing them whit my peers via twitter. Please have a scroll through both my WordPress and my Twitter accounts.

The Fight Against Online Authenticity

The first thing we see when we create any social media account is a box asking for our name, the degree of authenticity that we use to fill out these personal details determines how we interact on the platform. And perhaps, it is better that we don’t fill it in with our full names, but instead opt for a pseudonym. Contrary to popular belief, using a false name online can open up a variety of opportunities to reveal your true self.

After watching a conversation as part of my university course content I was intrigued to find my views on online identity were almost mirrored by the creator of controversial social media platform, 4chan. Christopher Poole, outlines in several interviews that being anonymous, or pseudonymous on the internet  allows you to reveal yourself in a“completely unvarnished, unfiltered, raw way.”

 

Now this of course can lead to some very large scale consequences as some users may see this as an opportunity to spread harmful and degrading content. This has been seen time and time again, and 4chan is now infamous for its uncensored and unfavourable content. A site where trolls run wild and there is no justice for any wrongdoings. However, if we can see beyond the instances of bullying and defamation we open up a world of possibility.

Not supplying genuine personal information online can allow you to explore yourself and articulate your opinions in a very honest way. It means that you can acknowledge and express openly all facets of yourself and engage with all of the discussions you would like to without any inhibitions. This is a huge benefit that shouldn’t be taken for granted as it means that the internet can be tailored to suit your needs at any time, you can log into twitter as your professional self to engage with one form of conversation and fulfill one side of yourself; but blog under a pseudonym and verbalise perhaps unconventional or controversial views and discuss these in a way that promotes personal growth and positive debate. We all speak to our parents differently to how we speak to our friends, so it makes perfect sense that we apply these social norms online, and not using your true identity means that in a world where everything is traceable, you are relatively private in your personal online life. Using a false name online does not mean you are being insincere, rather it allows the opposite.

To put this into an understandable context, being LGBTQ+ can have huge implications on your life, your opportunities, despite popular belief, can change once this detail about yourself becomes public. So for a professional in any field it may be beneficial for their career to keep their involvement in the LGBTQ+ community hidden from employers and co-workers. In this case using a pseudonym online would allow this person to express all aspects of themselves to appropriate audiences, they would be free to engage in LGBTQ+ community pages and reveal details and experiences online that under their professional name may cause harm to their career path. That is not saying the individual is not being ‘authentic’ in either one of their online profiles but instead they are embracing and exposing different facets of themselves in ways that incite confidence and openness.

II never thought I’d agree with anything 4chan related, before looking into the concept of the platform I was convinced that it was highly important to be identifiable online. However, upon further consideration and some thought I’ve come to realise that perhaps being unidentifiable is more authentic and true to yourself than placing your real name next to your real profile picture on an online account.

Don’t ‘Just Google It’

For many of us we have grown up with the phrase, ‘just Google it’ and it has always seemed like a solid foundation for research and information; but are you really utilising all that the humble Google search has to offer? Well that’s just it, google is no longer just a search engine, it’s a business that has expanded far beyond telling you what the weather will be like on your next interstate holiday. Valued at an estimated US$527 billion in 2015, google now has more ways than ever to provide you with valuable information, if you know where to find them.

Image taken by Ellen Emary, 2/12/16

Public Relations Practitioners need to be able to constantly monitor everything about the company and the market that they are working for. It is their business to be the first aware of any weaknesses in activities being conducted and opportunities that should be taken advantage of. Surprisingly, when used effectively,  google is a highly valuable tool for this job.

It is important to understand that google does have search algorithms which determine what your google searches return. They take into account location, browser history, computer or device being used, internet browser and many other factors. The algorithm then chooses what content is most relevant and applicable for you. This is something that public relations practitioners need to be aware of when undertaking in research. Google is by no means the only search engine that employs these techniques when returning results and it is important that this is understood. The research undertaken by public relations practitioners needs to be of a very high quality standard. That is why knowing how to navigate and really make the most of a google search is crucial, because it does offer many very useful and accessible tools that can and should be applied.  

Google news is one step above the traditional google search; it filters through all search results and supplies you with only news articles and blog posts. This simple tool will allow you to monitor the information that trusted news sources are delivering their respective consumers. This information can be invaluable in understanding public opinion towards your brand, allowing you to be an effective boundary spanner and navigate media coverage when delivering key messages to target publics.  

Google alerts is an addon of google that is free to use and only requires a google account. This program allows you to automatically receive emails when new online content is created about a topic that is of high interest to you. This essentially means that as a public relations practitioner, you are able to receive instant updates straight to your email when anyone mentions anything regarding your brand or product. This ensures that you are always aware of information being shared that concerns your company, and enables you to monitor any issues or opportunities that may arise.

Google analytics has huge potential in helping you monitor and research your brand’s reach. For a fee, Google analytics uses a dashboard style display to show key statistics of any web pages you control. The program, when utilised effectively, can show you everything from the countries that engage most with your webpages, to which specific online advertising campaigns have been most successful, and which content on your website is most attractive to consumers. All of this information is highly valuable to your business and goes beyond public relations and into the marketing sphere. However, as a public relations practitioner this tool can be used to monitor how your target publics are engaging with your web pages, and gives you the opportunity to place key messages in places where they will be most effective. It will also allow you to see who your most active consumers are, so you can be sure that your key messages are correct for the publics concerned.  You can read more about the many features of Google Analytics here.