It has taken me some time to finally sit down and write this post. A couple of days ago I opened my computer and read the story of Madison Holleran. I was immediately engulfed with emotion as I read about the success of a track and soccer player, and then seeing it suddenly take a turn. Madison Holleran took her life on January 17, 2014 at the age of 19. My heart goes out to Madison’s family and friends who are hurting. And to each and every person who is struggling with mental health. 

When reading about Holleran and her life, I came to the realization that it is typical for people to just post the highlights of life on instagram. When thinking about myself, I post what I want others to see. Therefore my digital identity comes across as an always happy person. But I am Human. We are all human. I have sad days, but I have never posted about those days. I know I wouldn’t be a burden, but it’s hard because all one sees on social media (instagram) are the happy moments that people have. 

“Checking Instagram is like opening a magazine to see a fashion advertisement. Except an ad is branded as what it is: a staged image on glossy paper.”

Split image

It breaks my heart that Madison Holleran felt the need to  portray such a happy and successful individual to the world and social media, even though she felt broken and lost on the inside. 

This article has brought awareness to me as a reader that we can create who we want to be on social media, but it may not be who we actually are. The people with “perfect lives” may not be living so perfectly. In the end, we need to remind ourselves that everyone is human, no life is filtered… only on social media.

“Even people you think are perfect are going through something difficult.”

Quote that Madison Holleran posted on instagram

To read the full article please click the following link: Split Image

To find The Madison Holleran Foundation On Facebook, please click here: Madison Holleran Memorial

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After reading about Madison Holleran, I then watched a video of a TED talk by Monica Lewinsky that talked about cyberbullying and online harassment. With the online internet, things that seem private can instantly blow up with a flick of a switch and turn a persons life upside down. Within the talk, Monica talks about her own personal experiences as well as how cyberbullying leads to victims feeling more suicidal, than in person bullying.

Online news can be seen as  a great thing as news can travel quickly, but we must also be aware of the fact that any information can be spread worldwide about us in minutes. Digital identity is important for all individuals to think about. What do we want others seeing about us online?

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This week I was tasked with cybersleuthing my Classmate Vincent Grabowski. For those of you wondering what cybersleuthing is, it is the activity of searching the web for information on a specific individual.  

To begin my close examination on Vincents digital identity, I took to google and typed in “Vincent Grabowski”. I was shocked with the results, as nothing on him came up! I was expecting to see his social media platforms such as facebook, instagram, twitter, and his edusites blog, because this is what comes up when you search my name. So my next thought was… Does he not use social media?

I went to instagram and searched for his name. I ended up finding his page! But it was made private, therefore I was unable to see his photos. His Bio provided basic information as it states that he identifies as he/him and that he attends the University of Regina.

Next, I looked up “Vincent Grabowski” on twitter and found his twitter account (this was easy to do as I have commented on his posts in the past). Through his twitter account I found out that he is living in Regina, and is a middle years education student.

via twitter I found Vincent’s edusite, where he has posted a “Who Am I” page. Here I was able to find out that he is from the town of Hamiota Manitoba. He has a mom, dad, two older brothers and a younger sister. His sister has Down syndrome and  is a huge part of Vincents life. I also read that he moved to Regina in 2016 and received a degree in Electronic Systems Engineering from the University of Regina. While in engineering, he was a part of the coop program. In 2021 he convocated and enrolled into the Education After Degree Program (still at the University of Regina). 

Overall, I think that Vincent’s Digital Identity shows that het is a private person who is passionate about education and loved ones. If an employer was to search him online they would find educational resources that he has shared via twitter, as well as self reflections, and a thoughtful teaching philosophy + biography on edusites. I am curious though, how does his social media not show up on google, even though his user handles include his whole name “Vincent Grabowski”? Is there a way for my social media to not be found when googling?