social psychology and personal relationships

Networks and identities: towards an optimal management of digital identity

April 20, 2024

Our presence is increasingly present and extended digital identity , our virtual "I" in the network of networks. The question is ... do we know how to manage it properly?

If you were born after the 90s you have to know that belong to what has been called Generation Google or of digital natives : people who have not known the absence of the Internet. In fact, if you have reached this page and this article is thanks to the ease that currently exists in access to information, communication and resources.

Throughout this framework we participate by creating social profiles that we share with others and that show our states, thoughts, desires, emotions, interests, work or personal life. It is well known that, in their selection process, more and more companies take into account the profile of LinkedIn , Facebook or Twitter to contrast the experience that is included in our curriculum vitae when we present ourselves as aspirants to a job.

Must it coincide, therefore, our digital identity With our analog identity a (our "face-to-face")? Yes and no.

The digital identity

The management of our personal digital identity is defined as the ability to successfully manage one's visibility, reputation and privacy in the network . In these three terms are included certain issues to be taken into account.

You are visible, if you are in the networks you are part of them. But the important thing is how that visibility benefits you or if on the contrary it can harm you . Everything depends on what you share and on the pages in which you participate.

Being visible is every day more essential and your profile is a reflection of your dedication in a specific subject, so it adds value to what you work or what you believe. It can reach people and places it could not reach in the analog world, as the digital age crosses borders.

Therefore, whatever your profession or passion you can search, inform, participate or dare to create an environment related to this topic that can become a point of dissemination or meeting of people who share common interests with you, a node. The networks They give you a unique opportunity to foster good connections and look for new ones that make you improve and grow.

Beware, that the network also has its negative side: "Depersonalization and (in) communication in social networks"

The added value of authenticity

However, be visible in the digital environment does not imply ceasing to be so in life beyond the screens . We can not always stay on the other side of the screen. We have to interact and show that the interest we show in our digital profile corresponds to our performance in real life and the consistency (or absence of contradictions) of what is shown in the digital environment.

Online reputation

The reputation of digital identity is measured by the impact of what you share or show on your profile . According to Bancal, online reputation measurement tools are blog search engines, social meta engines, written comment tracking tools, microblogs, social networks and online people search engines.

But the reputation of our identity is more than the tools in which it is compromised, it is the use we make and the behavior we have in them. And this is where, on most occasions, there is an advantage that our present "me" does not have when it comes to showing behaviors that may be out of place : there is the option to turn off the computer and answer later in a more reflective way and not so influenced by the negative emotions that you can experience in a specific situation. In this way you can avoid having an undesirable behavior or really useful to solve the problem and you can write a better opinion or a message.

Therefore, it is possible to momentarily "escape" from that situation and resume it in better conditions to be more objective in what we are going to show others so that it is useful, beneficial and interesting. About this, Dennis O'Reilly said about privacy on the Internet that "the best way to protect your privacy in the network is to assume that you do not have it and to modify your behavior online accordingly."

Privacy remains a value

It is very important to keep in mind that networks they should not be a place to pour or translate our problems explicitly and openly to all people.Obviously, freedom of expression is not discussed, but we can not fall into the error of disseminating data or issues whose dissemination brings problems and solves little or nothing. The appropriate thing is to communicate what is meant to the specific people to whom we want to get the message.

It is a matter of asking ourselves if our face-to-face would communicate it in a large square where a lot of people converge and where, in addition, the message would remain engraved on the ground. Let's not lose the excuse of stay for coffee to see the person we need to solve the problem or simply to be able to communicate our state in a sincere and private way.

Some tips to manage our identity on the Internet

These are some of the recommendations to manage digital identity Correctly:

1. Honesty and skills

Create our digital identity honestly but empowering and adapting our skills and behavior depending on the people to whom we direct the message.

2. Presence and influence

Expand our presence in the network and find our own nest where we can disseminate useful information , interesting and that contributes value to our work or interests.

3. Adequacy

Reflect before writing. TO Decide our message and share it with the people we really want to share it with . It is important not to forget that problems are best treated personally and "live".

4. Do not forget the presence

Caring for the digital and face-to-face: both are important scenarios where we can nourish ourselves, inform ourselves and interact. Managed appropriately, empower your identity so that the message they give about you is coherent.

And it is here when the doubt arises: Will we distinguish in the future between digital identity and analog identity?