Identity and Self Representation in the Digital Age

Identity and Self Representation in the Digital Age

Don't worry, that clever post title wasn't my creation. That was the the title of the first course I took in my undergraduate education. The class explored how we represent and/or change ourselves online especially people who took on new identities and had trouble deciphering digital from real life. In 2004 I thought it was a load of hogwash. My final paper, which I was immensely proud of, disputed the book central to the course, which I later found out was written by an acclaimed MIT professor, deservingly only received a B- . Now, the importance of Identity and self representation and controlling it online, rings more true to me every day.

Google: Search Engine to my Soul

Why do I find the internet to be such a scary place? Why am I so apprehensive? Because, get ready. There is only ONE of me. Go ahead, search my name. Ok. Don’t. I know you will anyway. But there is only me. Type me into google, type me in to twitter. Just Me. Maybe other family members will be dispersed throughout the search results with other people named Kerry, but mostly me. I just joined Vimeo to post a video, now that’s the top hit.

You can find me a few pounds heavier in a santa hat, at college friends’ weddings who sent the pictures in to the alumni magazine. You can learn about 5K’s I ran and my times for races I swam in college 5 years ago.  You can find out that I coach/ed for a swim teach called the Joliet Jets and that I’ve donated on behalf of friends to charities! GO ME!! You can figure out my previous employers and various educational websites I don’t remember joining. You can find my dad’s obituary.

I signed up for indulgy.com to get one cool PDF for teaching something or other. I think it is a knockoff of Pinterest, either way, I can’t delete myself from the website, and I don’t really like the name of the website. Indulgy? Ugh. Also, I have a MySpace??? SINCE WHEN!!!???

When I first signed up for Pinterest I didn’t realize that the default had google crawl your pins. Why had I joined Pinterest? To find low-cal margarita recipes for a summer party. How did I find out google was crawling my pins? Every now and again I will google myself for “safety”. Sure enough, the first hit was Kerry S pinned 5 low calorie, alcoholic drinks. Big Deal? Except when you teach Middle School and kids google your name more than they turn in their homework!  

I also can’t comment on public Facebook boards. There is my comment complaining about poor customer service for the whole world to see and judge me on.  Other people post to social media profiles and I feel like they might have an easier time. There are plenty of reasons to look people up on Social Media. YOU KNOW. Hmm… How many Tiffany Russells can there be? I don’t want the one it St. Petersburg Florida… Hmmm.  So even if Tiffany Russell is a horrible person who kicks dogs for fun, she is safe. Even typing that I feel bad, like I could get some Tiffany Russell out there in trouble. Yet, my low-cal margarita recipe could have me in hot water! I’m even still wary of letting friends of friends see my Facebook pictures, but I have to live a little! I’m relieved social media wasn’t around when I was a preteen/teenager. I am a shining example of why you should be able to control your digital footprint. I’m embarrassed by stuff I wrote/posted 5 years ago...when I was an ADULT!

Concluding Thoughts

I’m hyper afraid of being judged for simple things that are no big deal in my personal life making their way into my professional life and having a co-worker, parent, student or administrator make assumptions about my standing as a person and professional. Oh, I know I’m blowing this a little out of proportion, but when you live your life loudly, and there’s only one you, people are going to notice!

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