Community Contribution #1

What Exactly Is a Digital Identity?

To me, digital identity is the collection of information and activity online that becomes connected to a person. This can include your name, image, posts, comments, interactions, and even content that other people share about you. As Eric Stoller explains, “Digital identity is your footprint on the web.” Stoller’s short video is useful because it provides a simple starting point for thinking about digital identity as more than a profile picture or username. Digital identity is the ongoing collection of traces we create through what we post, like, search for, share, and even choose not to share. 

Every person’s digital identity can look different depending on the platform. For example, someone might use Instagram mainly to communicate with friends, LinkedIn to connect with employers, and course discussion spaces to present themselves as a student. However, these identities are not completely separate. They can overlap in ways that make personal, professional, and academic boundaries difficult to control. This made me think about how I was often told to carefully manage my digital identity, even though full control is not actually possible. 

I think it is important for people to be educated about the fact that they do not necessarily need to post anything themselves to have a digital identity in the world we live in today. Digital identity is not limited to what we personally do on our own devices. It can also be shaped by what other people post about us, including photos we are tagged in, group pictures, comments, and shared experiences. Before this week’s readings, I had not really considered how many photos of me may exist online through other people’s accounts. Even when I decide not to post something myself, a friend may upload a photo or tag me in content that becomes part of my digital presence. 

This relates to Danah Boyd’s idea that, “We are the product of the people we know and the socio-cultural environment in which we are situated.” Our online identity is partly social because it is shaped through our relationships and the communities we participate in. It also connects to the concept of networked privacy. Boyd’s discussion is helpful because it challenges the idea that privacy is entirely an individual’s responsibility. If someone shares a photo of another person without asking, the person pictured has less control over how they appear online. This makes me question who should be responsible for protecting privacy: the person posting, the person in the photo, the platform, or all of them. I think respectful digital participation should include asking for consent before posting or tagging other people. 

In a digital world with an overwhelming amount of media, I think it is important to maintain some sense of control over what we engage with online. In my day-to-day life, I do this by being selective about what I like on social media. I avoid liking certain TikToks, Instagram Reels, or posts because I have noticed how quickly an algorithm responds to my engagement. A few likes can lead to many similar videos appearing on my feed. However, I also recognize that not liking something does not give me complete control. Platforms can still respond to what I watch, search for, replay, or spend time viewing. This shows that my digital identity is shaped both by my choices and by the systems that interpret those choices. 

As a student, social media can also support the development of a personal learning network, or PLN. Gutierrez explains that a personal learning network, or PLN, is a space where people “Gather, collect, communicate, create and also share knowledge and experience with a group of connected people, anywhere at any time” (Gutierrez). Learning about PLNs helped me realize that the accounts, people, and communities I follow can influence not only what I learn but also which perspectives I see as credible. For students today, a PLN can extend well beyond people they know in person. These connections can include classmates, instructors, alumni, researchers, professional organizations, online communities, and people with shared interests. A strong PLN should include a variety of perspectives rather than only content that confirms what someone already thinks. 

Ultimately, digital identity is not about being the perfect person online. It is about participating intentionally, recognizing how other people, algorithms, and platforms contribute to our online presence, and building networks that foster learning and our own unique perspectives. 

A question for the reader…

Have you experienced a situation where another person, an algorithm, or an online community shaped how you are represented or what you learned online?

References

Boyd, Danah. “Networked Privacy.” Surveillance & Society, vol. 10, no. 3/4, 2012, pp. 348–350, https://ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/surveillance-and-society/article/view/networked/networked. 

Gutierrez, Karla. “What Are Personal Learning Networks?” Shift eLearning, 21 June 2016, https://www.shiftelearning.com/blog/personal-learning-networks. 

University of Derby. “Eric Stoller – What Is Digital Identity?” YouTube, 25 November 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0RryRbJza0