I’ve been thinking a lot about social media and online identities lately. Some are extremely cautious about what they put online while others let it all hang out. As long as an individual is comfortable with their level of sharing both strategies are fine, but what happens when the individual is sharing more than their life or even their friend’s lives?
Today’s 20-somethings have been participating in social networks since they were pre-teens. But now they are growing up, getting married, divorced, having children… My question is what type of effect will all this sharing have on Gen-Y’s children?
People in my parent’s generation never had the opportunity to share hospital pictures of newborns online or post videos of baby’s first steps. In fact, many are still cautious of social networks, afraid of stalkers and sharing too much with the online world. In contrast, Gen-Y anxiously posts their new relationship status and shares their children’s lives with the world.
One girl I went to high school with actually changed her Facebook status to reflect how far along she was in the birthing process. First, I don’t even know how you can think about updating your Facebook status when you’re in labor. Second, no one needs or wants to know that you’re five centimeters dilated. But I digress…
How will our children feel about all the funny photos and videos we post when they are infants, toddlers, teenagers? For some, it could be like sharing their entire diary with the world. Others might not care at all.
If I had to guess, I imagine most children will be fine with our sharing habits. After all, they are growing up in a world where it’s normal to share your life online. Still, I wonder how many will be embarrassed by photos, or upset by seeing their parent’s friends comment on their divorce. Are there any rules? Any social guidelines?
If anyone has expertise on this issue please leave a comment. I haven’t found any articles written on the subject and would love to learn more. What’s your take?
A couple weeks ago I was having lunch with one of my PR friends when the conversation turned to social media. My friend confessed that he carefully guards his online identities stating the infamous, “I like to keep my personal life personal.”
While I can certainly appreciate the desire to keep some things out of the public eye, you cannot have a successful online identity without being personal. After all, that’s what social networking is all about.
In reality, meeting people online isn’t much different than meeting them in person. The only change I’ve found is that meeting people online makes us a little bit braver. It’s easier to introduce yourself to someone online. You can comment on their blog, post a message on their wall or send them an @Reply. If they don’t respond there’s no humiliation involved. No awkward silence, no fumbling over words, no patronizing stares.
The trouble comes when the rules we follow in professional settings are broken online. In real life you may not share your college spring break experience with business associates, but you probably wouldn’t be afraid to talk about your latest golf outing, favorite restaurant or summer vacation. There’s a reason why many business deals are made on the golf course.
It’s all about personal connections. As much as the internet has “isolated” us it is still important to connect with people. Sometimes it’s not possible to meet face to face. Instead we settle for reading their Twitter streams, blogs or cataloging their hobbies on Facebook. In the end, we want to be able to look that person in the eye (or at least their profile) and know that we’ll get along. Know that we have some things in common outside the business world.
Consequently, the idea of separating your personal life from your professional life online is no smarter than doing so in real life. There are some things that would be smarter not to share online (discriminating photos, off-color jokes, stories about crazy nights in Mexico), but creating an online presence that is devoid of personality will do you no good either.
What’s your take? Have you had trouble separating your personal life from your professional life online? Are there any rules you follow?
