Social media is something I take lightly. In fact, it’s a space where I mostly joke. If you take me serious on Instagram or Twitter, that’s a personal problem (just kidding). But regardless, even though every now and then I take breaks from any social app for my own mental stability, I do find that the instagram persona of me and the real life persona of me are two different people. Not to say I have a multiple personality disorder but let’s just say my coworkers really see me going through it at work but on instagram they see the highlighted made-up version of me with my little outfits. To be honest, most of the time I am usually makeup free and regularly dressed, but online I go more all out.
The two readings this week dived into the online presence that is made through social media. Buck’s chapter touched on the performance of professionalism on social media. Which wasn’t something I connected well with. In her argument she discussed how students learn the discourse of the profession to become part of a scholarly community. This is not something I do. My social media is usually just a private different space for me to express myself, not one that I use to connect with other scholars or in the workplace.
Estee Buck touched on the aspect of data within social media. She touched based on the idea that interactive and dynamic sharing of content that benefits and improved systems, processes, individuals, and societies as the currency for the exchange of information. Now this is an idea that I haven’t put much thought into. Obviously to some degree I have some knowledge of the exchange of information and when you sign up for an app on your phone. But I guess I never thought how having an active presence on the app really can affect me even if I am taking it lightly in my mind. But in reality, there is nothing light about it at all.
The thought of going cold turkey stays in my mind often but I am not too sure if it is a jump I can take just yet. Yes, periodically I do take my mental breaks in efforts to keep sane. But completely getting off the grid and only using LinkedIn for scholar connections seems like something I would potentially do a little further on in my career. Not yet, right now I am a 27 teenage girl.
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