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The Journey of my Online Identity


Online identity by Ron, 21 April 2021, Made by Canva


Online identity


In general online identity is portrayed as the identity of a person which used in online society such as social media or other online applications which are related.


“ Online identity is set of components of a personhood that construct by a person himself/herself on online society “ Smith and Watson ( 2014:82 )




Online Identity by Ron, Made by Canva

Facebook

The Journey starts when I bought my new brand phone ( china phone) in 2014, within the phone there was an app called Facebook, because I was lack of technology, I ask my brother who already had Facebook account regarding how to register new account on Facebook as a result my brother help me out and set up my first account on Facebook as well as it becomes my first 'Online Identity' in social media.


As an introverted person being a part of an online community is a biggest challenge for me, because indirectly it forces me to engage with others users on Facebook, yet, it is how social media works generally.

“social media are online platforms that allow users to create profiles for sharing content in forms of text, photo, graphics or videos within the online community, so the users can respond to the content”. Burns, (2017:06)


Facebook profile by Ron (screenshoot)


In order to always engage with the online community on Facebook as well as prevent my shyness of posting picture of myself on it, I have decided to construct myself as an observer.


“Observer is types of social media user who frequently log in to social media platforms yet, rarely post new content on social media as well as they tend to use social media as platform to communicate with their friends” DIllon, 2014

Social media by Ron, Made by Canva Instagram

After playing Facebook, I made a move to another social platform called “ Instagram “, on Instagram, I Created 2 different accounts that allow me to divide my personal account and my photography account, so that I can maintain both of them easily, flexibly and effectively.

“They are performances, composed with different purposes and audiences in mind, but also attached to each other in a way that they can be traced back to the source” Adam brown, 2017




Both of the accounts are actually representative of myself yet, in different ways, for instance, my personal account @ron_pst, I use as a platform to communicate with closest people and engage with them privately therefore, on this account I put myself as a “Public private self”


"Public private self is this version of the self that the celebrity engages, or at least appears to engage, in the world of social networking. It is a recognition of the new notion of a public that implies some sort of further exposure of the individual’s life” Marshall, (2010: 44)


Instagram profile by @zwe_photo

Instagram Profile by @ron_pst

On the other hand, my photography account @zwe_photo, I run it as a platform to fill my passion as a photographer, so most of my pictures are about landscape photography, street photography and frame photography etc., therefore, I utilize this account as a source to gain additional income, like photo model or photo wedding.



Twitter

Recently, I moved to Twitter because of my university requirement, to be honest I never use Twitter before, and I did not even know how to engage with others users on Twitter, yet, like Tim said ‘Learn by doing’ this words actually motivate me to explore how Twitter works.

Twitter profile by @Ronald


After getting know about twitter, I begin to construct my persona on Twitter, as a photographer so, I just continue what I have done on Instagram and put on twitter but, the difference between my photography account on twitter and Instagram are the explanation so, on twitter I will tell in depth what I have taken ? and what is the hidden meaning of my picture? Instead of Instagram I only provide short captions on each of the images.





Moreover, I also often engage with online communities that I follow on Twitter like communities of sport and art, because they often share informational topics, advice in how to draw and also open a discussion of all the members who join community. like the picture bellow.

Denver Nuggets and Jokic by Rob perez


YouTube

Last but not least is YouTube, On YouTube is quite different from other social platforms because on YouTube we can only upload content in video format so that it challenges creators to think creatively and critically in making a video.


I have used YouTube now over 5 years, on YouTube I found a lot of channel that inspired me to begin my journey as photographer as well as videographer, yet to be participated on YouTube is one of the biggest challenge to me, because as I said before, I shy to talk in front of the camera directly. However, with creativity I finally prevent my shyness.



This is a video of my online identity that I made last couple weeks ago, in this video I have explored the surface of my online identity that I build on YouTube so that, this can be a good start to me to explore my creativity more and more so, I can engage on YouTube community regularly and effectively.







References list:


Brown A, (11 March 2016) ‘Multiple Me(s): Thinking Through My Online Identity’, Digital zone, retrieved 21 April 2021.


Burns, KS (2017), Social Media : A Reference Handbook, ABC-CLIO, LLC, Santa Barbara.


Dilon J, (22 October 2014) ‘The 5 “Personality Types” of Social Media Users’ (and How to Market to Them), Inboundy blog, retrieved 21 April 2021.


Marshall, PD (2013) The promotion and presentation of the self : celebrity as marker of presentational media. Routledge, 1 (1): 35-48, https://doi.org/10.1080/19392390903519057



Smith, S & Watson, J (2014). Virtually Me. Identity technologies: Constructing the self online, pp 70-95, retrieved 20 April 2021.












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