Living with the New Expectations of the Digital Reputation Economy

Are  you  ready  to  ac,vate  your  online  iden,ty?  

Due to the increasing degree of which our everyday lives are becoming digitally integrated,

it is no longer a choice to be digitally literate but a necessity.

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Accompanying this new responsibility is the

creation and management of our online persona.

The degree of control we have over this identity will be

crucial to our professional and romantic future. 

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Now digitally literacy means more than being able to

access and navigate technology.

It includes the ability to

understand and create information.

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This has created a new digital divide, based on your

skills more then your access.

There is a

g r o w i n g g a p

between those who can consume and those who can create.

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However, new technologies focused on accessibility are entering the market every day.

Tablets for example are perceived to be less complex then a computer and offer the same functionality. 

Tablet Adoption Rates 2013 - 1 in 4 people own a tablet 2014 - 1 in 3 of people own a tablet 2015 – Over 1 in 2 adults in North America own a Tablet

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They boast one of the adoption rates in the world and are often utilized by...

“Silver Surfers”: Seniors who are active internet and technology users,

some who had previously felt ostracized from the net. 

highest

59% of seniors reported using the internet in 2014 53% of seniors reported using the internet 2012 35% of seniors reported using the internet in 2008

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IBM suspects that by 2017 the digital divide will no longer exist, due to the uptake and accessibility of

mobile technology.

And as all services and ads move online...

Everyone will have no choice but to move there too.

As everyone m i g r a t e s their lives online

we must remember that privacy on the web is only a

concept.

And all users have the right to free speech. 

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This has propelled a new behavior on the web today...

shame campaigns:

Where social media users band together to critique a piece of offensive or entertaining content. Thus, putting it in the public spotlight.

These are similar to other harmless viral phenomenon like

“The Dress”*. It originated with a dispute over a photo of a dress that either appeared as black and blue or white and gold.

*In the first week after the surfacing of the photo there were 10 million tweets mentioning it.

Pantone.  The  Dressgate.  2014.  Print.

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However shame campaigns have negative repercussions

such as costing jobs.

Justine Sacco a Corporate Communications Director, with just 170 Twitter followers, made a racist joke that was brought to the No.1 worldwide trend on Twitter. Leading to her immediate and public termination.

Thoughts  and  Wonders  of  an  Overanalyst,.  Gartner,  Nicole.  Justine  Sacco  Screenshot.  2013.  Print.

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The question for employers when hiring has moved in the direction of

“what” your online presence is instead of “if” you have any online red flags.

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Its becoming an increasingly popular practice for

employers to request access to your Facebook accounts to evaluate whether you’d be a good "fit" for the

company culture or if you have something to hide. 

•  75%  of  recruiters  check  candidates  social  profiles  when  hiring    •  33%  have  rejected  candidates  based  on  something  they  found  in  

their  social  profiles  

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The obvious solution of the past was simply to not have any social media accounts,

but now this is considered yet another red flag. 

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Without an online presence to prove the credentials and experience cited on an individual’s resume hiring

managers have begun to question the

credibility of the individual. 

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Furthermore, companies are now not only verifying their candidates online.

They are using the web to recruit individuals.

•  93%  of  recruiters  using  social  media  will  use  LinkedIn  •  66%  use  Facebook  •  54%  have  started  to  use  TwiHer  

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Another area where online “recruitment” and “verification” is prevalent in today’s society is in

online dating. 

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It is predicted that in the future more relationships will start online then in person.

•  In  a  few  years  38%  of  couples  will  meet  via  online  da,ng  or  a  matchmaking  service.  

•  By  2040,  70%  of  couples  will  have  met  online.    

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Most online dating participants will take their communications off the online dating system to avenues

such as Skype video chats.

They claim this step was essential to forming and verifying the impression they had of the person and whether to go on a date.

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Now, knowing that your future career or next romantic relationship could inevitably be directly dependent on your online identity...

...Are you confident you’re putting yourself your best face forward? 

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Remember the following as you create your identity in the digital reputation economy:

1.  Your reputation precedes you: people will look you up on the internet before they meet you or entertain meeting you, in both a professional and romantic setting

2.   If you’re invisible you’re probably a fraud: the internet is a new way to provide backing to your claims about yourself – use it

3.  Either you’ll progress or you’ll stagnate: with

multitude of distractions they have available to them online now – you must curate original and valuable content to get their attention

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Also remember to manage your online identity:

1.  Monitor: keep track of any mentions of your name and Google search yourself regularly

2.  Control the dialogue: if you don’t put out any content to create your identity someone else will do it for you

3.  Create your fan base: from close friends to followers, if you create a network of allies you’ll having backing in creating a positive image and disproving any negative claims

In conclusion,

digital literacy is becoming mandatory and managing your online identity should be a priority for every

individual. 

So  are  you  ready  to  ac,vate  your  online  iden,ty?  

Works Cited.

Clark, Dorie. "It's Not a Job Search, It's a Permanent Campaign." Harvard Business Review. HBR, 28 Mar. 2012. Web. 12 June 2015. Darwin, Josh. "Does Privacy Exist On the Internet? - SMC." SMC. Social Media Contractors, 18 June 2013. Web. 12 June 2015. "How Many Companies Use Social Media to Recruit? [INFOGRAPHIC]." Undercover Recruiter. Undercover Recruiter, 10 July 2012. Web. 12 June 2015. "92% Of Companies Use Social Media For Recruitment [INFOGRAPHIC]." SocialTimes. ADweek, n.d. Web. 12 June 2015. "Online Dating & Relationships." Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. Pew, 20 Oct. 2013. Web. 12 June 2015. Reporter, Daily Mail. "Half of New Couples Will Meet on the Internet by 2031 as Relationships That Start at School or Work Decline." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 24 Jan. 2014. Web. 12 June 2015. Ronson, Jon. "How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life." The New York Times. The New York Times, 14 Feb. 2015. Web. 12 June 2015. Singer, Natasha. "In College Admissions, Social Media Can Be a Double-Edged Sword." Bits In College Admissions Social Media Can Be a DoubleEdged Sword Comments. NY Times, 11 Nov. 2013. Web. 12 June 2015. "Usage and Adoption." Pew Research Centers Internet American Life Project RSS. Pew, 03 Apr. 2014. Web. 12 June 2015. Wu, Ya-Huei, Caitlin Ware, Souad Damnée, Hélène Kerhervé, and Anne-Sophie Rigaud. "Bridging the Digital Divide in Older Adults: A Study from an Initiative to Inform Older Adults about New Technologies." Clinical Interventions in Aging CIA (2015): 193. Web. 12 June 2015. Zytko, Doug. "Impression Management through Communication in Online Dating." Impression Management through Communication in Online Dating. N.p., 19 Feb. 2014. Web. 12 June 2015.

Sonia Wisniowska