by Graeme Douglas, Available at http://admanramblings.blogspot.com/2008/05/post-digital-parenting.html.
Should the odd comment that I make on Twitter today affect my ability to find a job twenty years from now? Does it matter if I’m 10 years old today? 15 years old? 25 years old? 35 years old? 45 years old? Is our online identity and personal brand a compilation of everything that we post online or is it what we’ve most consistently said, most often said, most recently said? As a teacher, I think that development and progress is more about process over time. I don’t hold the same beliefs today that I held when I was 13. (Hopefully) as I’ve gotten older, my actions have become more aligned with my beliefs. I think that we’ve all struggled at some point or another to do the actions that reflect the person that we want to be.
So I guess I have three questions about online identity/personal branding:
- Given the indelible nature of the web, should we really be living our lives online in the exact same way that we live our “real” lives? What’s our responsibility to ourselves to be selective about who we are and what we share online?
- How should we be using the information about other people that is available online? What’s our responsiblity as fellow world citizens?
Reading/Watching List
- Change your channel
- digital footprints by Alvin Trusty on Vimeo
- http://www.stateuniversity.com/blog/permalink/Personal-Branding-Promoting-the-Brand-Called-You.html
- Daniel’s Pink Two Questions that Can Change Your Life on Vimeo
- The Compound Effect – resources for building self awareness
- Role of Anger
- Personal Branding and Its Extra Weight
- No Reservations
- Personal Brands: Stop, Stop, Stop
- Personal Branding For, Well, People
I was thinking about this very thing today and wondering if students and teachers alike shouldn't have disclaimers on their digital lives that say something to the effect of "these words, videos, links, and reflections offer a snapshot in time of who I am today and do not necessarily reflect my thoughts today, tomorrow, or in the future. I am in a constant state of change and growth."
I guess I'm wondering if the disclaimer should even be needed. My argument is that it's redundant, but I guess that's only true if one believes that it's possible for people to change.