Self representation online

Self representation online is very important. Everyone nowadays has social network pages like Facebook and Twitter. And everyone has photos and information about themselves on there. So what would happen if a friend uploaded a photo of you looking a bit worse for wear? And what would happen if you made a cringey status when you were 14? ? That would be deleted and removed as soon as possible.

This is all part of our self representation online. We are able to present ourselves to others how ever we want, and so we do. We present ourselves the way we want to be identified, rather then who we actually are. 

It's not just our appearances, too. We can also alter our personalities online. For example, if one of your friends has 'liked' a clothing brand online, you are able to 'like' it too in order to fit in with the rest of your friends. We are also able to 'unlike' things on Facebook, which is the most popular social networking site in the world. Imagine if you had 'liked' Justin Biebers fan page 3 years ago. That would still be on your page even now. You can 'unlike' that and get it removed as soon as possible. It is all self representing yourself exactly how you want to be known. 

So how easy is it to be yourself online? Well, it is getting more difficult. This is because of society today. Everyone is trying to prove themselves to others. 

For example, is your profile picture of you and your friends? A lot of peoples is. If asked why, a lot of people would say that they just love the picture. However, it has been questioned that it is our sub conscious taking over as we are trying to prove to our online friends that we do indeed have real friends.

We don't just want to look good in front of our friends, though. There have been many cases where people have lost jobs due to their Facebook accounts. This website shows the stories of some people who have lost their job because of their actions online. Sometimes this is because they have bad-mouthed a client/colleague, or they may have just uploaded an unprofessional image. Facebook is not as private as it may seem.

In conclusion, self representation is important online in some areas. Trying to look cool and popular in front of your mates is not important, it just comes down to who you are as a person. But when it comes to losing a job, make sure you stay professional at all times- even if thats not who you are outside work. 

http://www.betsym.org/blog/2010/03/23/self-representation-online/