Having an online identity is a complex notion that needs to take into account the purpose of the account, the audience and the social media platform. The user’s identity is shaped around how they view themselves as well as who they aspire to be both professionally and personally (Cho and Jimerson, 2016). This notion becomes even more complex when dealing with professionals who wish to use these platforms for professional reasons but often are confronted with many issues and dilemmas about what is appropriate to post and when to censor yourself online.
The first important issue that needs to be taken into account is the purpose of the account. The user needs to determine their intention for their account before they begin to post. Once they begin posting, their digital trace is there for everyone to see and possibly use against them in the future if their post is deemed to be inappropriate or controversial (Me and my shadow). If they deem the purpose of the account is to inform and educate their peers and fellow teachers then they should restrict their posts to educational based posts that are not politicised. This will stop the user from becoming a target of being labelled as a “policy pusher” or advocate for a specific party. This is incredibly important for educators as they are not allowed to advocate for political parties on a public forum.
Another issue is knowing what to post and what to keep private. Due to the emergence of social media platforms and their surge in popularity professionals are now confronted with how much of their personality to show through their posts. If they don’t use any personality in their posts, they are often deemed too robotic, however, if they use too much then their sense of professionalism is taken away. This can be managed through having a “personal-professional account” which is aimed at professional development and education matters and a separate account for the user to reach friends and family which is in no way connected to their profession (Cho and Jimerson, 2016). This allows for the user to manage their accounts to ensure that what they post or who they follow on each account is appropriate and reflective of their digital presence. This will stop parents and community members seeing personal information such as holiday photos or sporting preferences but also allows the users family and friends to not have to see resources relating to education or a specific school of it does not concern them.
Having an online presence in the modern day is almost necessary in order to stay up to date with policy changes, reforms and recent developments but it is also as necessary in order to stay connected with friends and family who may be spread across a country or even the globe. This leads to the necessity of a professional needing multiple social media accounts in order to stay up to date both professionally and personally without sacrificing their personal privacy or professional learning.
References
Me and my shadow, (n.d.). Take control of your data. Retrieved from https://myshadow.org/
Cho, V., & Jimerson, J. B. (2016). Managing digital identity on Twitter: The case of school administrators. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 45(5), 884-900. doi: 10.1177/1741143216659295
