When I think about my digital identity, I mostly think about social media and the things I choose to post. But my digital identity is actually a lot bigger than that. It includes what I watch, like, search for, share, and create. Even if I am not purposely trying to build a certain image of myself online, everything I do contributes to how I appear on the internet.
One of the biggest parts of my digital identity is writing. I have been sharing my writing online for years, even before I really thought about what a “digital identity” was.
From Wattpad to Tumblr
When I was younger, I used to post my writing on Wattpad. At the time, I wasn’t thinking about personal branding or how I was presenting myself online. I just liked writing stories and having a place where I could share them with other people.
Now, I post my writing on Tumblr. Tumblr has become one of the places where I am more of a content creator instead of just a consumer. I can write something, post it, and have other people actually read and interact with something I created.
Looking back, I think it is interesting that even though the platforms I use have changed, writing has stayed a part of my online identity. I went from posting on Wattpad when I was younger to posting on Tumblr now, and I am continuing that with this website.
That is why I decided to make my WordPress site about my writing. Instead of making a website about something random just for class, I want it to represent something I actually enjoy and something that has already been a part of my online life for a long time.
Creator or Consumer?
I am always a consumer, even if I do create content. Tumblr, I post my own stories, but I also read and comment on other peoples writing too. On every other social media app, I am just a consumer. I don’t post on TikTok or Instagram anymore. I just watch what ever comes up on my page.
Before this assignment, I think I associated being a “content creator” with someone who constantly posts online or has a large following. Now I realize that creating content can be as simple as posting a story I wrote on Tumblr or sharing something on Instagram.
My Online Identity Is Multimodal
Another thing I didn’t really think about before this class is how many different types of communication I interact with every day. My online experience is very multimodal, meaning I am constantly using different modes of communication together. Social media especially combines words, images, sounds, videos, and movement.
TikTok is probably the best example. One video can have music playing, someone talking, text on the screen, captions, facial expressions, and movement happening at the same time. Instagram can combine photos, videos, written captions, graphics, and music.
My writing is mostly linguistic because I communicate through words. However, putting that writing on a website adds other modes. The images I choose, the layout of my site, the fonts, and even where things are placed on the page can affect how someone experiences my writing.
That is something I want to keep in mind while creating this website. The actual writing is important, but so is the way I present it.
Showing Different Sides of Myself Online
I think my digital identity matches who I am offline, but it doesn’t show everything about me.
Different platforms show different sides of my personality. Someone who only sees my Instagram might get a different impression of me than someone who reads my writing on Tumblr. Neither one is necessarily fake. They just show different parts of who I am.
I also choose what I want people to see. I don’t post every thought I have or everything that happens in my life. Because of that, my online identity feels like a more selected version of my real identity.
That also connects to personal branding. I don’t necessarily think of myself as a “brand,” but people can still form an impression of me based on what I put online. My writing, interests, pictures, and even the design of this website can all contribute to that impression.
Designing My Website for Readers
Since this website is public, I also have to think about who might actually read it. It could be my professor or classmates, but it could also be someone who randomly comes across my site.
That means I don’t want my website to look like one giant school essay. Our reading explains that people tend to scan online content, looking for things like headings, keywords, shorter paragraphs, images, and links. It also explains that headings and shorter paragraphs make information easier to understand before someone even starts reading closely.
For my own website, I want to use that idea by keeping my paragraphs shorter, using clear headings, and making it easy for someone to move through the page.
What My Digital Identity Says About Me
The biggest thing I learned from this assignment is that I have been creating a digital identity for much longer than I realized.
When I was posting stories on Wattpad when I was younger, I wasn’t thinking about what those stories said about me. Now I post writing on Tumblr, and I am creating a website centered around my writing. Even though the platforms have changed, there is a clear connection between them.
I am still more of a content consumer in most parts of my online life, especially on other social media, but writing is where I become more of a creator.
Going forward, I want my website to be another place where I can show that creative side of myself. I don’t expect my entire digital identity to perfectly represent everything about me, but I do want the things I purposely create and share to feel like me.