Digital Identity and Cyber Sleuthing

This week we talked about our digital identity as well as cyber sleuthing (which I have never heard of before this class). I knew that having a digital footprint online can be very useful but also scary. Putting yourself on the internet, making multiple accounts and interacting with people from all around the world can be dangerous if not used correctly. I personally have a lot of social networks. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook (which I never ever use), Pinterest, Snapchat, and a few others. I understand that having these accounts I am putting myself out into the world for anyone to find me. However, I make smart decisions and think about my digital footprint before anything is posted. Taking the time to think and process what you do online is very important, especially when we think about our futures. As well as understanding that because what people post online does not mean that is how they feel or act in person. As I read Split Image, an article about a young girl named Madison Holleran who online seemed fine but really was not. We are under the impression that what we see online is what is portrayed in real life. This article was eye opening because we never ask questions about how people really are we just assume they are fine because of what their social media looks like this week. But we never realize that it is just a cover up. Our digital identity can be shown however we want it to be, we have to make sure we are using it in a positive way.

Now, with all of this digital identity and cyber sleuthing talk we had to pair up with someone, and my partner was Emily Patchin. The task was to do a little snooping of my own to understand their digital identity and who they are. I began with doing a quick google search and seeing what sites came up. I got an Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, and a few others such as Pinterest but were not her. I began to look at her Instagram which was not private so I was able to see a bit more into her posts. Her feed is clean and has a lot of photos of herself and friends as well as a boyfriend I noticed. Looking at her Facebook, it tells me that she works at a child care centre, lives in Porcupine Plain, Saskatchewan and went to Porcupine Plain Comprehensive school. Switching again to her WordPress she has an all about me page which helped me understand her just a little more. She is the second oldest of three siblings, her mom is a teacher and that she never imagined another career besides teaching! She also likes painting, travelling, beading and spending time with her family. Finally I went through her Twitter and is was all very clean. She has some casual tweets posted throughout the semester, nothing out of the ordinary! Overall, her digital platform was very clean and nothing popped out at me. She keeps her profiles on the low and does not post a whole bunch online. Great digital identity Emily!