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| screenshot of my instagram account @nutritionalbite (6/8/2014) |
‘…Oh no... Here we go again. Another food blogger trying to convince us why we need to ditch the burger for a pot of steaming KEENWA, or whatever that supposed 'superfood' is…’
It's exactly this kind of stereotypical thinking that keeps my online identity hidden in disparity. An anonymous agenda, sharing my passion with a world willing to listen. A faceless inventor, bursting with a rich array of creations. But who am I to my followers? Nothing but a soulless, lifeless provider, unable to make connections due to the incomprehensible pursuit of remaining hidden from judging eyes. Stereotypes help us to build an ideal reality, which can be drawn upon and related to, to create a way of viewing a particular entity. A stereotype is ‘… negative behavior by any member of the oppressed community [that] is instantly generalized as typical …' (Shohat & Stam, 1994, p.183). Stereotyping has the ability to induce positive effects on shaping the individual habitus by producing the impression of what right and wrong is, however; they often tend to be negative.
The question I find myself continually asking is; am I the only one? Apparently not… According to Hongladarom (2011) the art of hiding ones true self behind the creation of pseudo personality is rising in the realms of the online world as “ the newly created persona, allows the person behind to say things in such a way that would not be possible if the person revealed who she really is to the world. Another situation is that more and more users are connected with those whom they do not know before. This is understandable given the situation where many are putting up invented semi- anonymous profiles”(p.537).
My Instagram account allows me to separate myself from my personal reality, and be someone who I aspire to become. Removing the perceived negative feedback we often receive from our peers creates a harmless sense of freedom. According to Marshall (2010) ‘we are moving into … the “specular economy” where collectively we are becoming more conscious of how we present ourselves and how others perceive us and this change is migrating to the epicenter of our knowledge economy’ (p. 499). The online world not only provides a forum where we can display ourselves in full, embracing the plethora of digital platforms, it also offers a safe haven for the tentative creatives like myself to gain confidence without divulging our most sensitive information.
The account is also a channel where I can connect solely with like minded individuals, as with the use of strategic hash tags allows me to attract only those with similar interests to my page. This level of engagement creates a space where inter-connectivity is heightened through the juxtaposition of similar belief systems and aspiration for understanding. Through the use of the app ‘Instafollowers’ I can gauge which photos & recipes my followers respond positively to, and those that aren’t so successful. This useful tool provides me with statistical data outlining how my followers are engaging with my account, including likes, comments and following. As such I am able to adjust future posts according to feedback from analyzed data.
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| mind map created on bubbl.us https://bubbl.us/?h=21e1af/44e029/22xq4./AchSvE&r=1909369164, comparing the differences in my digital presence (6/8/2014) |
This mindmap shows a clear contradiction between my two divergent online identities, and while my personal online accounts (facebook, LinkedIn etc) may provide private information about myself, they are disengaged, and lacking any real personal substance. Interestingly, while my online alter ego @nutritionalbite lacks the background information, which allows followers to fully connect; the account is socially viable, with frequent updates and engagement with fellow users. It is almost as if, combined, I cover the full spectrum of a fully active and dedicated digital persona, however I am disjointed, by the sheer fear of being judged by my peers. According to Merrin (2009) this shift towards individuals operating multiple digital personas is continually expanding, as we are seeing “the rise of optional media worlds: the fractal proliferation of entire, personally created, chosen and managed media environments” (p. 24).
While this may be seen as utterly negating of the point of communication and connectivity in the digital realm, which Sacks & Graves (2012) describe as a tool by which the individual can construct their social identity (p. 80), there are many more avenues where individuals can express themselves socially. Heng & de Moor (2003) argue “the internet provides its users with a platform to conduct potentially open discussion, debate and exchange of information, which gives equal opportunity to the participants, and is free from constraints of power relations” (p. 335). This is important for the positive development of self-concept as the view of an individual from their peers can leave a great impression on how they view themselves. The way we communicate is affected by our self-esteem, which is shaped by the way we view ourselves (Adler & Rodman, 2009, p. 34).
It’s funny how perception of self has such a powerful effect on the way we present ourselves. More often than not, this perception has been shaped by our own personal ideology. Ideology is a thought process that helps to make sense of surroundings. According to Freeden (2003) “we simply cannot do without them because we cannot act without making sense of the worlds we inhabit” (p. 2). An ideology is a foundation of an individuals actions and opportunity, and is a concept that is critical in the digital realm. While there is no distinctive force preventing me from engaging on a more personal level, my perception, which has been shaped by my ideology, is that if I do engage it will be received unfavourably. This is due to social comparison, which is the unrealistic interpretation of media images by individuals that inevitably has a negative effect on self-esteem (Milke, 1999, p. 190).
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| screenshot from my personal twitter account 6/8/2014 |
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| Screenshot from my personal twitter account 6/8/2014 |
This got me thinking; perhaps my two distinctly different online
personas can coexist, cohesively, without the perceived danger of exposure.
With the launch of my most recent digital media platform Twitter (thanks
ALC201!) I am trialling an amalgamation of my online worlds. As you can see
from the above screenshots, I have taken creations from my anonymous food
account and shared them on a platform owned by my private account. The
Twitter-sphere just may be the device I’ve been searching for to expose my
alter ego, as “digital storytelling is the
art of combining narrative with digital media such as images, sound, and video
to create a short story,” (Dreon,
Kerper, & Landis, p. 5)
Wordcount: ~890 (not including in text citations and captions)
REFERENCES:
Adler, R.B. and Rodman, G., Understanding Human Communication, 10th edn, Oxford University Press, New York, 2009, ch. 2, pp. 31 – 65
Dreon, O, Kerper, R, & Landis, J 2011, 'Digital Storytelling: A Tool for Teaching and Learning in the YouTube Generation', Middle School Journal, 42, 5, pp. 4-10, Education Research Complete
Freeden, M 2003, Ideology : A Very Short Introduction, Oxford: Oxford University Press, eBook Academic Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost
Heng, M, & de Moor, A 2003, 'From Habermas's communicative theory to practice on the internet', Information Systems Journal, 13, 4, p. 331, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost
Hongladarom, S 2011, 'Personal Identity and the Self in the Online and Offline World', Minds & Machines, 21, 4, pp. 533-548, Applied Science & Technology Source, EBSCOhost,
Marshall, PP 2010, 'The Specular Economy', Society, 47, 6, pp. 498-502, SPORTDiscus with Full Text, EBSCOhost
Merrin, W 2009, 'Media Studies 2.0: upgrading and open-sourcing the discipline', Interactions: Studies In Communication & Culture, 1, 1, pp. 17-34, Communication & Mass Media Complete, EBSCOhost,
Milkie, MA 1999, 'Social Comparisons, Reflected Appraisals, and Mass Media: The Impact of Pervasive Beauty Images on Black and White Girls' Self-Concepts', Social Psychology Quarterly, 62, 2, pp. 190-210, SocINDEX with Full Text, EBSCOhost
Sacks, M, & Graves, N 2012, 'How Many “Friends” Do You Need? Teaching Students How to Network Using Social Media', Business Communication Quarterly, 75, 1, pp. 80-88, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost,
