What is Digital Identity? Here is a definition from Technopedia:
A digital identity is an online or networked identity adopted or claimed in cyberspace by an individual, organization or electronic device. These users may also project more than one digital identity through multiple communities. In terms of digital identity management, key areas of concern are security and privacy.
Too often, we spread our digital identity in these multiple communities like a spider web that cannot be melted away. It can be a professional part of our “spider web”, or a playful one, even with the kinds of usernames or profile photos we use for light-heartedly. It may seem like harmless fun, but is it really?
What a playful tool the Internet has become. We can go on FaceBook to see how some of our friends are doing, or make sure that we do not miss their birthday. We can make and post videos online for family members (like a video of our child at a piano recital for a grandparent in a foreign country) or share a funny moment among friends (someone slipping up at a social gathering after one too many drinks). These actions all add to our digital identity.
Although it may seem so wonderful to have at the tip of our fingers, 24 hours a day 7 days a week for some people, we are constantly putting our reputations and perhaps even future prospects on the line.
An example of how some people can use a playful post by someone else in a horrible, mocking way, is well described by Alec Couros in a Tedx Talk video, Identity in a digital world. He shares the video as it was posted, and goes on to explain how it was redone several times in ways that humiliated the young student who originally posted it. From this, the boy was dubbed “the Star Wars Boy” – an unwanted, overwhelming addition to his digital identity. His family eventually sued the family of 4 of his school mates. I’m sure those kids did not realise the consequences of their actions. They were probably just having fun, without realizing (or caring) that it was at the expense of another boy.
It is increasingly difficult to separate the digital identity we have from our real lives. Couros (Tedx Talk, 2015) concurs that “Our digital lives are no longer separate realities.” He adds that this is very important to remember when trying to “understand teen culture.” It is a huge part of their lives, and they often leave it out there to share with the world. Even if teens think that they are not sharing things with everyone, and that some posts are only temporary (like SnapChat), there images can be saved by others and shared around the world. My teen showed me an app called Casper, which allows you to copy something from SnapChat and save it. Then, you can share it as much as you like. He showed me a similar app to use to “steal” Instagram photos. Imagine the harm that can be done to digital identities all over the world with such apps. Kids have to be educated, and careful!
Couros (2015) values the “access we have to each other”, but he feels that we need to teach out kids to use the Internet in a way that is “safe and responsible”, making sure that kids “don’t jeopardize their future”.
I like how Christopher Warren, a classmate of mine in the course EDUC5131, Digital Citizenship in a Global Community, states that “we need to spend more time on character-development” when referring to social media and cyberbullying. I feel his comment also applies to how we develop our digital identity. If we teach kids to work online with good character, it would serve as a kind of preventive approach to developing their digital identity. Good parenting at home, where parents are involved with their kids’ online activities, would be a good start.
In schools, we can start developing good character online by, for example, critiquing other’s work online with tact and respect. A guide I’ve tried to teach them was adapted from what another teacher in my school was doing:
Couros, A. (2015). Identity in a digital world. [video file] Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAlIBTgYfDo
A digital identity is an online or networked identity adopted or claimed in cyberspace by an individual, organization or electronic device. These users may also project more than one digital identity through multiple communities. In terms of digital identity management, key areas of concern are security and privacy.
Too often, we spread our digital identity in these multiple communities like a spider web that cannot be melted away. It can be a professional part of our “spider web”, or a playful one, even with the kinds of usernames or profile photos we use for light-heartedly. It may seem like harmless fun, but is it really?
What a playful tool the Internet has become. We can go on FaceBook to see how some of our friends are doing, or make sure that we do not miss their birthday. We can make and post videos online for family members (like a video of our child at a piano recital for a grandparent in a foreign country) or share a funny moment among friends (someone slipping up at a social gathering after one too many drinks). These actions all add to our digital identity.
Although it may seem so wonderful to have at the tip of our fingers, 24 hours a day 7 days a week for some people, we are constantly putting our reputations and perhaps even future prospects on the line.
An example of how some people can use a playful post by someone else in a horrible, mocking way, is well described by Alec Couros in a Tedx Talk video, Identity in a digital world. He shares the video as it was posted, and goes on to explain how it was redone several times in ways that humiliated the young student who originally posted it. From this, the boy was dubbed “the Star Wars Boy” – an unwanted, overwhelming addition to his digital identity. His family eventually sued the family of 4 of his school mates. I’m sure those kids did not realise the consequences of their actions. They were probably just having fun, without realizing (or caring) that it was at the expense of another boy.
It is increasingly difficult to separate the digital identity we have from our real lives. Couros (Tedx Talk, 2015) concurs that “Our digital lives are no longer separate realities.” He adds that this is very important to remember when trying to “understand teen culture.” It is a huge part of their lives, and they often leave it out there to share with the world. Even if teens think that they are not sharing things with everyone, and that some posts are only temporary (like SnapChat), there images can be saved by others and shared around the world. My teen showed me an app called Casper, which allows you to copy something from SnapChat and save it. Then, you can share it as much as you like. He showed me a similar app to use to “steal” Instagram photos. Imagine the harm that can be done to digital identities all over the world with such apps. Kids have to be educated, and careful!
Couros (2015) values the “access we have to each other”, but he feels that we need to teach out kids to use the Internet in a way that is “safe and responsible”, making sure that kids “don’t jeopardize their future”.
I like how Christopher Warren, a classmate of mine in the course EDUC5131, Digital Citizenship in a Global Community, states that “we need to spend more time on character-development” when referring to social media and cyberbullying. I feel his comment also applies to how we develop our digital identity. If we teach kids to work online with good character, it would serve as a kind of preventive approach to developing their digital identity. Good parenting at home, where parents are involved with their kids’ online activities, would be a good start.
In schools, we can start developing good character online by, for example, critiquing other’s work online with tact and respect. A guide I’ve tried to teach them was adapted from what another teacher in my school was doing:
- Give a compliment, for example: “I like the graphic you chose for …” or “I like how you added special effects to …”
- Find a way to comment on something presented, for example: “I agree with what you wrote about …” or “I’m sorry, but I don’t think that ….”
- Try to connect in some way personally, for example: “I also have seen …” or “I heard something similar …”
- Ask a polite question that shows critical interest, for example: “I wonder why …” or “What do you think would have happened if …”
Couros, A. (2015). Identity in a digital world. [video file] Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAlIBTgYfDo