Blog Post #1

What does it mean to network using social media?
Nowadays, people from all over the world have access to the internet. Each one of us has an online and offline identity in social media, which means we are no longer restricted to only connect others who are close to us in the real world but being able to build a connection with anyone we are interested in through social media (Granovetter, 1983; Nardi, et al., 2000; Kamakshi, et al, 2011).
Using social media to network happens almost every day in our life. For example, chatting with an old friend through Wechat, or networking with a specialist of a company through Linkin. “This network gathers a heterogeneous circle of people, distributed across different groups and places, and connected to the individual with connections of varying degrees of strengths,” stated Granovetter (1983).

• How are we motivated to participate in networked publics?
One motivation is the desire of learning. Participating in networked publics helps us to learn things that we are curious about. Through networked publics, we can not only know a huge amount of information are interested in but interacting with others on related discussion forums.
Another motivation is building a connection with others. Through networked public, people can interact with people in different fields, and build connections. For example, build a connection with your potential colleagues and supervise after being hired by the company.

• What are the risks & rewards of public communications?
Public communication allows us to gain extensive information, and communicate with others to exchange ideas and build connections. In the meanwhile, it also has many potential security risks, such as fraudulent information and information leakage. Since everyone has internet access, anyone can post information as they want. Therefore, a large amount of false information was posted on the Internet which could cause seriously misleading. In addition to false information, there are fraudulent information may lead to personal security. Also, there are chances that our personal information cannot be well protected and could get leaked to people with bad intentions.

• What is a digital identity?
Digital identity is defined as “your presence online. it’s everything you post and share” stated Eric Stoller. For example, profile and posts on social media, portfolio, blog, and tweets, etc.

• How do personal versus professional approaches to digital identity affect social media use?
For personal approaches to digital identity, people like to share more things about their lives. Content is more life-oriented.
For professional approaches to digital identity, people like to post everything professionally. Content is related to work and shows the professional side of who they are

• How do digital identities converge in networked publics – what are the impacts and/or benefits?
With digital identities converge in networked publics, we can know people by their digital identities, which helps us to build connections with others. In the meanwhile, other people can also know us by things we showed on the internet. This could bring positive effects or negative effects to us depends on our digital identities. For example, someone could get hired by the company reading their digital identities and finding them to be the fitting person. On another hand, someone’s career could get diminished because they post something that they should not.

Reference:

Kamakshi Rajagopal(2011, August 23) Understanding personal learning networks: Their structure, content and the networking skills needed to optimally use them. Retrieved from https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3559/3131

Gutierrez, K. (2016, June 21). What are personal Learning networks? What are Personal Learning Networks? Retrieved from https://www.shiftelearning.com/blog/personal-learning-networks.