“The only time you should ever look back; is to see how far you’ve come.”

I have to admit I completely underestimated this module in so many ways. Firstly, I personally have always struggled with my writing due to my dyslexia. I dreaded the thought of my peers reading my blog and judging me on this. However, this blogging experience has made my confidence levels sky high and I no long feel anxious about this aspect. This new confidence has enabled me to enhance my online professional profile on Twitter, LinkedIn, WordPress and Instagram. It has also taught me how your digital profile can be adapted to different audiences whether it being personal, academic or professional. Some content which may be suitable for your personal profile, may be completely inappropriate for your professional one! Therefore, I have also been given an in depth insight into the importance of making accounts private.

Please watch the video below for a quick topic overview:

My Progress 

1. A significant change would be how I adapted my privacy settings and became more aware of the dangers of this.
2. I decided to create a LinkedIn profile to enhance my digital profile and become a more frequent tweeter! I believe social media is the future for education. At first, the thought of tweeting a lecturer a question rather than emailing seemed strange. However, this process worked amazingly! All students received quick responses to their concerns and queries while maintaining a respectful communication environment.
3. Another valuable aspect of this module was gaining the skill of scanning the web for appropriate and authentic resources which would add value to my blog. I also learnt to build upon youtube videos, websites, other peoples’ blogs and google scholar. Therefore the most relevant and up to date information was found.
4. Consequently, this was then implemented into my own visual aids to create an interesting and creative blog. Before this module, I had never even heard of Pikochart, Powtoon and Haiku deck. I know for certain these skills will help me throughout my degree in Marketing and I can hopefully demonstrate them in my summer Marketing internship at Revlon!

The next steps….

I look forward to continue to blog particularly throughout my next year of university. I enjoyed interacting with other students and considering their opinions and views.  I will also be far more cautious about what I am posting on social media as the this module has heightened my awareness of this issue.

My time management has been challenged throughout this module, due to weekly deadlines and targets (luckily I have been able to stay within them). Out of all the modules I have taken at The University of Southampton, I strongly feel this one was the most valuable as it not only has given me confidence in expressing myself through blogging. But has also opened my eyes to a completely new platform of education, which I will continue to utilise past university.

An amazing experience and I would recommend blogging to everyone!

Word Count: 490

 

 

 

 

Topic 5: Reflection

Looking back…

This past weeks topic has completely opened my eyes to a new debate. The debate between whether materials online should be freely accessed and re-used by all. It only occurred to me last week when I was sifting through countless research articles online for to my research proposal, how infuriating it was to be presented with a pay wall in between the article and myself.

Clayton’s Blog…

This point was supported by Clayton’s blog that clearly highlighted that the Internet was originally created for the purpose of sharing documents for free. This is something I think many people have sadly forgotten. I also admired Clayton’s passion towards this topic, which was demonstrated through his blog and detailed response to my comment.

Sam’s blog…

On the other hand, Sam expressed this thoughts on open access through the use of Haiku Deck. Although I experimented with Powtoon this week, Haiku Deck can be seen as an excellent alternative. This is because it allows a slow reader like myself, to go through content at my own pace. I also appreciated that he mentioned in his reflection that I made him reconsider things from a content producer’s financial perspective. As I can’t help but emphasize with them due to having to pay a publication fee despite their years of hard work and commitment.

General trend…

After reviewing other students blogs, the clear trend that is being portrayed is a pro open access view. Although this view may be biased due to us being students and being reluctant to pay even more for our education. I strongly believe that science and research needs to be shared in order to be developed, built on and improved. I have experienced first hand how the sharing of materials online can significantly increase my knowledge and education through the use of this module.

Comments

Clayton

Sam

Reference 

http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-and-open-access-3/

 

“Privacy is dead, and social media holds the smoking gun” – Pete Cashmore

The rapidly increasing use of social media is impacts most areas of our lives in one way or another. Unfortunately, this has triggered a number of ethical issues to be raised within businesses in relation to social media. Ethical issues address the debate between what is considered right and wrong, these however can vary due to cultural and religious differences. Therefore, it can be difficult for the worldwide social media organisations, such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to manage and act accordingly. A common ethical issue with social media is the privacy of their accounts and who has access to them, particularly when applied to a business or educational environment. I found the video below gave an interesting perspective into social media privacy.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9pFMSKPXSk

Because social media is relatively new and is developing rapidly, many employers and employees do not fully understand the legal boundaries when using it. For this reason, social media has been responsible for many people losing their jobs. An example of this is that Justine Sacco case which I have mentioned in my previous blog.

Cain & Fink (2010) outline the 5 questions relating to ethics and social media; 

1. Who is viewing the social media information?

2.How is the social media information accessed?

3. For what purpose is the social information used?

4. What are the criteria one uses for making judgments about social media information?

 5. What is the nature of “relationships” in social media?¹

Privacy and data protection in terms of social media, is controlling the content they put online and who may view/access it. When people turn their accounts private to protect personal photos and opinions, they assume the content cannot be access by external people.

However, when may it be ethical or justified to access this information?

This brings up the debate when the government and police force can intervene and access this private accounts on social media. It is evident that there is a very blurred line between private and public information which then makes the issue of “freedom of speech” prominent.

Freedom of speech ‘the power or right to express one’s opinions without censorship, restraint or legal penalty’²

Although a set of guidelines have been set from the director of public prosecutions about what is acceptable and what is not, I believe these may not have been communicated to the public effectively. Everyone has a right to express their opinion on social media, but where should the line be drawn?

The pros

The positives about accessing private content on social media can vary from stopping a child from being cyber bullied, to preventing a terrorist attack! Obviously, in these circumstances invading peoples privacy is justifiable. On the other hand, should the government be allowed to monitor content on social media which we believe is private?

References

1. Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3058471/ [accessed on the 24th of April]
2. Available from: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/freedom-of-speech %5Baccessed on the 24th of April]
3. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9pFMSKPXSk %5Baccessed on the 24th of April]
4. Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/introduction/intro_1.shtml  [accessed on the 24th of April]
5. Available from: https://www.ibe.org.uk/userassets/briefings/ibe_briefing_22_the_ethical_challenges_of_social_media.pdf  %5Baccessed on the 24th of April]
6. Available from: https://blog.x1discovery.com/2011/11/28/can-lawyers-be-disqualified-by-merely-viewing-a-linkedin-profile-the-implications-of-indirect-social-media-communications-and-legal-ethics-rules/ %5Baccessed on the 24th of April]

 

Topic 3: Reflection

Initially, I didn’t realise the benefits of the using a blog instead of a Linkin profile when referring to an authentic profile online. Of course, Linkin is the one of the most conventional and widely used method. However, after researching articles and reviewing videos, it came to light that a blog also has many advantages.

I particularly found Emma’s different approach to this question insightful as she went into depth of how to create authentic profile. I dismissed the importance and basic detail needed to build an effective professional profile. I focussed on the aims and pinpointed the dos and don’ts of a typical authentic profile. I also thought I would incorporate an informative video outlining the steps to achieve this as I wanted to utilise the word limit as effectively as possible. Whereas, after reviewing Emma’s blogs and useful comments, it reminded me to always remember the importance of the consistency of a profile picture and not repeating yourself.

On the other hand, I found Theo’s blog interesting as she linked this topic to her real-life experiences of her search for her placement. This highlighted how current and relevant this topic is for us, and how maintaining an an authentic online profile will hugely affect my generation in the future. Therefore, looking back on this topic I feel that I have gained some useful tips, especially now that employability is now so competitive.  I also learnt CV’s are no longer the deciding factor to getting a job. To stand out from the crowd you must differentiate yourself, and after examining a range of articles, a blog achieves this.  In conclusion, I hope to continue to blog in the future as I believe this will give me a competitive edge over other candidates.

Reference

https://gregmiller21stcenturyleadership.wordpress.com/tag/teacher-reflection/

My comments

https://emmamartensson96.wordpress.com/2016/03/08/building-a-professional-digital-profile/

https://osztrovszkytheo.wordpress.com/2016/03/10/topic-3-building-a-professional-digital-profile/

 

Topic 3: How to make your professional profile authentic.

There are many ways in which an authentic online professional profile can be developed. The most common and well-known professional profile is Linkin where you can express your strengths, education and past experiences.

However, there are more unconventional ways to communicate in a professional manner other than Linkin, for example blogging is becoming increasingly more popular to encourage employers to hirer you. If you choose blogging as a way to develop your online profile you MUST keep it professional, you can achieve this by discussing your opinion about serious and relevant topic in a sophisticated and engaging way. Not only does this express your intelligence, but it also communicates other qualities such as dedication and motivation meanwhile letting you stand out from a large pool of applicants.

I found the following article helpful in providing useful tips to improving your Linkin profile: http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/5-major-linkedin-upgrades-can-make-your-professional-profile-rock-online

As discussed in my previous blogs, online identity is crucial to getting your dream position. Your reputation online and your online presence may be the the deciding factor in whether you are successful or not. It is evident from statisics that now around 93% of employers investigate online profiles, this is why it is vital to create an authentic online professional profile.

Main factors recruiters look for:

Professional experience, length of professional tenure, industry-related posts, mutual connections, specific hard skills, cultural fit and lastly examples of written or design work.

On the other hand, a negative image is created on an online are as follows; profanity, spelling/grammar, illegal drug references, sexual posts, alcohol and guns.

Unfortunately, in the case of Justine Sacco, a senior director of a successful corporate company, the dangers of social media were clearly demonstrated. Tweets including racisit and insulting references which become the No.1 worldwide trend on twitter. Justine tweeted the following:

• ‘Weird German Dude: You’re in First Class. It’s 2014. Get some deodorant.’ — Inner monologue as I inhale BO. Thank God for pharmaceuticals.”
• “Chilly — cucumber sandwiches — bad teeth. Back in London!”
• “Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!

These tweets would have jeopardise her career and reputation forever. Therefore, my advice to keeping your professional profile as authentic as possible is to present yourself in a respectable way and avoid insulting any culture, religion or belief.

 

References:

1. http://www.theemployable.com/index.php/2014/10/28/blogging-can-help-get-job/
2. https://www.jobvite.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Jobvite_SocialRecruiting_Survey2014.pdf
3. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/magazine/how-one-stupid-tweet-ruined-justine-saccos-life.html?_r=2
4. www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO
5. https://www.looksharp.com/blog/how-to-create-a-killer-online-professional-profile
6. http://www.monster.co.uk/career-advice/article/how-do-i-build-a-professional-profile
7. http://www.cilip.org.uk/blog/six-tips-managing-your-professional-online-profile
8.  http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/5-major-linkedin-upgrades-can-make-your-professional-profile-rock-online

Topic 2: Managing your online identity

Everyone who has an online presence will ultimately leave a digital footprint behind. A digital footprint consists of our online history and how we navigate ourselves around the web. We project an image of ourselves onto social media to express our online identity. Factors such as  likes, dislikes, opinions, hobbies, fashion and social life  are all communicated online. However, how much does this actually benefit us? Or in fact, does this put our reputation and employability at risk?

It can be argued that our digital footprint is not as private as we think. Over the last couple of years I have seen a huge change in advertising. For example, if I am scrolling through Topshops’ website and click on the item I desire, it then appears on my Facebook page encouraging the purchase of the product. Large corporations are doing this by implementing this advertising technique by collecting our internet history, however this does make me feel slightly uncomfortable. The fact the now anyone can view or hack into our private information and learn practically everything about someone does seem quite scary. This may be the reason by identity theft is on the rise, hackers can easily access all of our private information resulting in criminal offences. It is now not uncommon for employers to view a potential candidates Facebook page and reject them due to a drunken or inappropriate picture. The following video I found expressed this accurately: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn4Rupla11M

This follows the debate in whether individuals should have more than one online identity. Most individuals, myself included, only post photos from positive experiences such as social events or holidays. Therefore it is clear that my online identity is significantly different from real life.  Obviously my Linkin profile communicates a far more professional image than my Facebook which is significantly more relaxed and personal.

The question is however, should there be such a difference when employers can easily access both? And should they be able to access both? I believe we should have the freedom to create the online identity we want to be perceived as and communicate the ideas we believe in.

References:

1. http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/apr/19/online-identity-authenticity-anonymity
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UlcOX1fZW4&feature=youtu.be
3. http://eft.educom.pt/index.php/eft/article/view/216/126

Comments:

https://fabshaheer.wordpress.com/2016/02/27/how-much-of-a-trail-do-we-leavebehind/#respond

https://emmamartensson96.wordpress.com/2016/02/24/should-i-build-another-me-online/#respond

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Digital Visitors and Digital Residents.

Whether it being a television, computer, phone or iPad, many children are now exposed at a young age to technology. Because of this, Prensky (2001) gave the younger generation the title of “digital natives” due to their abilities to adapt to the digital world. Contrasting with this, are “digital immigrants”. People who would fall into this category would be the generation who did not have a laptop at their fingertips from a young age and would have to amuse themselves with board games or playing in the street.

However, many people who did not grow up with technology as a part of life have adapted surprisingly well. Therefore challenges the theory of digital immigrants and natives idea as the difference between the two terms suggested are becoming increasingly less clear.

This theory may have been relevant when written 15 years ago, therefore it is important to give credit to Prensky for first initiating this idea. However, I personally do not believe age limits how involved an individual is in the digital world. Fortunately, White (2011) constructed an updated theory being digital “visitors” and “residents”.

When referring to residents, is can be described as “living or staying in a place”. This can be applied to the digital world of being someone is continually involved in technology which is highly integrated and utilised in their life. Examples of this would be social media addicts, such as endless scrolling of Instagram and the Facebook timeline. People who would be completely lost without their smartphone and if it were to be confiscated, they would find it difficult to function. Although their image they create on social media is of high importance to them, the maintenance of relationships and communication is also valued.

On the other hand, the concept of “visitors” do not see their online presence an important aspect of their lives and usually only use technology to fulfil tasks whether it being work related or communicating.

It must be noted that both residents and visitors have their pros and cons. If you’re spending more time communicating through a screen than in person, you should consider becoming more of a visitor to the digital world.

Ask yourself, are you a resident or a visitor?

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon (NCB University Press).

White, D. S., & Cornu, A. L. (2011). Visitors and Residents: A new typology for online engagement.First Monday, 16(9).