Some people may find researching their online identity
rather long and possibly arduous but when I looked through my social profiles I
found what I expected to see. I saw a blank Twitter and Instagram account, few
and far between Facebook posts, a flourishing Pinterest, and a very active Tumblr.
I’ve never been a fan of social media sites like Facebook and Tumblr and while
I like keeping up with other people’s Instagrams I don’t actually upload
anything to my own. But when I look at my Tumblr and my Pinterest I see my very
regular usage and what makes up the majority of my online identity.
I suppose I like to keep my online and offline lives mostly
separated. Personally, the idea of broadcasting my daily life on the internet
where nothing is truly deleted is unappealing at best. Actually, most of the
time when I post on Facebook it’s because I feel it’s expected of me and not
because I really want to share what’s going on. I’d much rather record my life
in a private journal where most people aren’t going to see it. So, when I look
at my Facebook profile I see a very bare representation of who I am. I went to
Bradly-Bourbonnais Community High School, I was in band and Scholastic bowl, I
go to Augustana College, and I like to read. That doesn’t say much about me.
I had expected to have this ambiguous idea of my personality
and interests after looking through my profiles but once glance at Tumblr and I
realized that wasn’t the case. My Tumblr is full of reblogs on social issues,
college life, art, music, fashion, and a varied collection of posts that
display all of my interests. Without saying a word I’ve defined myself. I’ve
told the internet that I’m a college student who is interested in promoting
awareness on mental health and social issues. I’m a musician and artist and
that I have a passion for fashion design. I run an entire separate Tumblr blog
entirely dedicated to my fashion illustrations and people can tell it’s a big
part of my life. I’ve made maybe two text post about myself that don’t actually
say anything about me at all, but from just scrolling through my posts I can
see what kind of person I am.
And for some reason, this doesn’t bother me. I hate posting
on Facebook because I think it’s too invasive but my Tumblr spells out my
entire life and it doesn’t worry me. Maybe, I don’t mind Tumblr because most of
the people who look at my blog don’t know me in person and will probably never
meet me in real life. I’ll never have to feel judged because I’ll never talk to
them. But I know the people who are friends with me on Facebook, I see and talk
to these people on a daily basis. Perhaps by not posting on Facebook and
choosing instead to tell people about what’s going on in my life face to face,
I’m trying to control the information that affects my offline life. I suppose I
don’t like to share information that I could easily tell people in person.
What it comes down to I suppose is that my online identity
or “e-dentity” reflects my nature as an immensely private person. I don’t enjoy
sharing personal events where anyone could see them and I wouldn’t be able to
every fully delete and therefore when you look at most of profiles you won’t
have any idea what I’m up to. However, I find it very easy and comfortable to
share my interests with everyone whether or not I know them. So my Facebook
will probably always be a very bare place and my Tumblr will probably always be
overflowing with my interests, but that’s what I’m comfortable with. Maybe in
the future I’ll branch out and share my art on a wider scale but I doubt I’ll
ever be comfortable sharing the intimacies of my daily life.
I liked your distinction between how comfortable you feel sharing things with people whom you do not know, rather than people that you do know. I'm kind of the same way in some ways, but not when it comes to social media. Talking to strangers has always been easier for me than talking to people that I only know as acquaintances. Talking in front of a group of strangers has always been easier for me than talking in front of a group of friends or people I have know--especially if only superficially--for a long time. I think this connects to my tendency to desire control of other people's perceptions of me. As you've expressed, this tendency to desire control of other people's perceptions of you translates to your usage of social media.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to social media, I am on the same page as you. Sure I have a Facebook account and sure I post stuff on it from time to time, but it is not the center of my life. If people want to know what kind of person I really am--my actual identity--then they can talk to me in person instead of trying to figure me out through my e-dentity. I agree and somewhat disagree with you on the issue that you are more willing to share with people that you don't come into contact with everyday rather than those that you do. I agree because it is easier to share who you are with people that don't know you because you don't have to search for something interesting and new tell them. You can just be yourself. But at the same time, I disagree because I would rather tell about my life with those who know me rather than a complete stranger who happens to like a picture or comment that I have posted. Overall, I believe that you are on to something when you explain that social media is only a perception of who you are not who you actual are.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I can relate to not sharing your entire life on social media. Personally I do the same exact thing, I only share what I want people to know. However, going forward sharing your interest and passions through social media can be quite rewarding. You never know what opportunities will become available to you!
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