Sue Watling
swatling@lincoln.ac.uk #suewatling
Centre for Educational Research and Development
University of Lincoln, UK
Presented at Social Work and Social Development: Action and Impact
Stockholm 8-12 July 2012
APM Welcome, APM North West Network Conference, Synergies Across Sectors
Social Media and Personal Identity Presentation Online
1. Social media and
personal identity;
the presentation of self online
Sue Watling
swatling@lincoln.ac.uk #suewatling
Centre for Educational Research and Development
University of Lincoln, UK
Social Work and Social Development: Action and
Impact
Stockholm 8-12 July 2012
2. Digital lifestyles
Social impact of the internet
Web 2.0 style environments
Social Media
User generated content
……and sharing
4. Misuse of personal information
Inappropriate sharing
Embarrassment
Professional damage
Disciplinary procedures
Suspension
Job loss
5. Presentation of Self
Erving Goffman (1959) Presentation of Self in
Everyday Life
Analogy of theatre and performance
Roles based on social expectations
Individuals anxious to make good
impressions and avoid embarrassment
Presentation of self online requires
boundaries between personal and public
personas
6. Digital Literacies
Image from http://babyurl.net/names/baby-domain-name/establishing-a-babys-digital-identity-by-registering-their-domain-name
7. Lets keep talking…
Sue Watling
swatling@lincoln.ac.uk #suewatling
http://suewatling.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk
CERD
University of Lincoln
Lincoln
UK
LN67TS
Editor's Notes
Living in an increasingly digital society With digital ways of working, communicating, accessing information
One huge social effect of the internet is the way in which anyone who uses creates a digital identity This identity is constructed from our online activities – So its important to be aware of how everything we do online leaves a permanent record
Anything we post online can get misinterpreted, taken out of context, and made public in a way we never intended.
Goffman used the analogy of the theatre - with individuals as actors on the stage – performing a variety of different roles based of social expectations Goffman says we are anxious to control or guide the impressions we are giving to others and we do this through the way we present ourselves – so its important to us to make the best possible impression But at the same time as we are doing this – we are also making judgements about others – based on their appearance and the clues they are giving about themselves As well as this process of making judgements – of making attributions - Goffman also believed when we’re socially interacting we’re particularly anxious to avoid embarrassment Today we not only have to manage face to face interaction – we also have to manage our digital identity as well – we have to be concerned about the way we present ourselves online This is particularly important with professional practice like social work And for who haven't had to think about the professional aspects of their online behaviours
Embedding digital literacies into social work education and practice is becoming increasingly important Because careless online behaviours can ruin a professional career
The social impact of the internet on all our lives is an increasingly important subject – in particular for social work education and practice Its not only about how we manage ourselves on line – its also about digital divides and the potential implications of digital exclusion for social work practice So we need to keep going the discussions about social media and its impact on social development