My Digital Footprint (Blog Post #1)
Hey fellow internet readers! 😎
Today's topic of interest is discovering what kind of digital footprint I created 😬. (Honestly, I don't know why I'm scared trying to remember what I have out in the dark trenches of the internet, when I've mostly been a very private person all my life, but here we gooo!)
Before we start revealing some of my secret digital footprints, the "Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century" reading by Henry Jenkins lists four different forms of participatory culture. Now, if you're someone like me, who had no idea what that meant at first, the author gives a very helpful description, stating that "a participatory culture is a culture with relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement, strong support for creating and sharing one's creations, and some type of informal mentorship." Since you now have a description of what I will be discussing, the four different forms of participatory culture are as follows: affiliations, expressions, collaborative problem-solving, and circulations.
When thinking about these four forms of participatory culture, I definitely feel like I relate to two of them the most. These two include expressions and circulations.
Now, we can finally talk about my digital footprint! In the past five minutes, I've thought long and hard about where I first posted something on the internet. Because of this, I do first want to give a warning
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| (picture of Animal Crossing...the best game ever) |
As stated in the same reading listed above by Henry Jenkins, expressions are a way to produce "new creative forms, as digital sampling, skinning and modding, fan video-making, fan fiction, writing, zines, mash-ups", etc. And if you didn't catch what I said earlier, I regrettably posted on TikTok. I had to emphasize this three times because that was an extremely embarrassing, low moment for me. Now, you might be thinking, what could Emily have possibly posted on that app? Well, it was nothing too extreme...just the casual video of me attempting to keep up with trends and lots and lots of videos of my friends and I messing around at sleepovers. I would definitely...like...definitely post an example on here, but to my bad, bad luck, I can't remember what the username is (if you can't tell, I do remember what the username is). Anyways, if any of my friends found out that I actually used to actively post on social media, they would question who I even am because they all know that I barely post anything about my life. I mean, I definitely do post occasionally after going on vacation or going to concerts, but that's mostly only on Facebook, where I pretty much just have my family members following me.
Even though I will not be showing any examples of the kinds of videos I posted on TikTok, I will include a very nice list of a few of the songs that I may have used...
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| (something I have to remind myself) |
As for digital media in urban ELA classrooms and the unfortunate pitfalls, not all students may have equal access to new technology or the internet. Digital media can also make it harder for students to be able to tell what information is reliable without proper guidance. These can both widen the participation gap, and because of this, educators would need to teach digital and media literacy skills so that technology can support learning, instead of becoming a distraction.
On a more positive note, digital media has a lot of potential, since it allows students to express themselves in ways that can go beyond traditional essays. By using social media, videos, podcasts, and similar multimodal projects, students can connect literacy to their own experiences and feel more engaged in reading and writing. It can also give students more ways to participate, especially those who may struggle with strictly written work.
That's all for today, folks! Until next time! 👾
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Hi, I really enjoyed reading your first blog post! I also went down the rabbit hole of making Tik Toks and am trying to hold on hope that no one will find them. I really enjoyed reading your take on posting about social activism in today's society. I feel a lot of people were in your shoes about not posting content or sharing media that related to it. I was also someone who didn't share everything, even though I am getting more active in my community and have always been fighting back. I think there is the social pressure and this popular culture one could say about addressing political and social activism on their personal media. It lasts for a while, then something else happens and the first thing we were fighting for diminishes, the first example that comes to my head is Palestine. I have stopped hearing about it, as much as I did before even though the genocide never stopped. There is always something else, something new that people should be posting about. As you said you are more laid-back and doesn't like conflict. It is easier and healthier sometimes to step away from hearing about tragedy after tragedy. You shouldn't be questioned because you aren't posting a black screen or sharing every article. I think people forget that not everyone is the same. Yes, this is how we will have our voices heard, but it causes burnout to constantly see this and know we can't really do a lot.
ReplyDeleteI like the ending with how students can positively be affected with digital media in classrooms. Specifically, the last line, the pandemic was hard for students and kids to have those writing skills taught to them. If we punish students for something out of their control, what are we exactly doing for them? I didn't think of that when I was writing my blog post. It is something to take into consideration when looking at including digital media in classrooms.
I absolutely agree that digital media, in particular, sparks concerns about being able to determine what is or isn't "truthful." I feel like quotes may be necessary here, as facts nowadays seem to be becoming less and less important, and that it is incredibly easy to spread half-truths far and wide. With the rapid rise of AI in particular, I feel like it is easy for those of us in a specific age group to identify more accurately when something (especially an image) is or isn't AI because we grew up enough in the digital age to know what things "should" look like, whereas the next generation of learners will enter the digital space at a time where AI will always exist for them. Media literacy is ever-important, then, as students must have a strong foundation of what is logical and makes sense before they can realistically deconstruct media that is made to intentionally confuse and deceive them.
ReplyDeleteOh my god I hope the embarrassing posts I made in my youth never see anyone's eyes other than my own, I totally understand what you're saying! I really think Gen Z has a pretty universal experience of doing that, unfortunately, but hey, we can all stand in solidarity that that was DUMB and STUPID and LAME and we'll never do it again.
ReplyDeleteI love what you had to say about activism on social media!! I've had a similar experience, and it's really awful that the current state of affairs pulls everyone into the fray. I'm happy, however, there's hope in what you said, because you taking from all of the stuff going on that you need to speak up is exactly what the world needs.
also also...animal crossing rocks, I sunk SO many hours into it during 2020
I remember the day my students found my Twitter from 2009. I was MORTIFIED. Screenshots of my stupid thoughts being sent throughout the school. Nothing crazy, but super embarrassing. Cryptic posts about a crush I had at the time... Song lyrics that I felt were extremely powerful... Now looking back at this, it is a moment in time. Those things were important to that version of myself. I have spent hours digging through Myspace profile remnants, HTML code, subdirectories, and archived captures of the internet to just have a taste of what I was like on the internet at that time. I've found blank pages that still remain on Myspace that display the captions of photos I once had posted. What I wouldn't give to see those photos again. There is a long lost photo of my sister aesthetically holding a lamp that I would pay a lot of good money to see again, even if it is absurd.
ReplyDeleteThe internet is an archive of our culture throughout the years. As humans, we are weird, we are cringe, and we do grow (I like to think about the hairstyles of the 80's). I think it is really cool that through the internet we can actively and meaningfully (or not meaningfully in the moment) add to that archive.
Hi Emily! I really enjoyed this post! Your voice comes through so clearly, and the humor made it fun to read (the repeated "regrettably" had me laughing). I think you did a great job using Jenkins’s framework to reflect on your own participation in expressions and circulations, especially by tying TikTok to a very specific moment in time: the pandemic. That context matters, and you included it thoughtfully.
ReplyDeleteI also appreciated your reflection on using your platform for social action. The tension you describe between being laid-back and feeling pressure to speak up feels very real, and connecting that to Transforming School Hallways Through Critical Inquiry was smart. Your point about access and media literacy in classrooms was stated strongly; it shows you’re already thinking like an educator who sees both the potential and the pitfalls of digital media. Overall, this felt honest and reflective.
Hi Emily! I really enjoyed reading your post and how honest and reflective you were about your digital footprint, especially when you mentioned looking back at TikTok memories from the pandemic. That example made your writing feel very relatable and grounded in real experience. I also liked how you connected your ideas to participatory culture, particularly expressions and circulations. You made it clear that a digital footprint is not just about what we post online, but also about how we engage, interact, and share content in digital spaces. Your discussion of using digital media for social action stood out to me as well. It highlights an important balance between wanting to use platforms for meaningful purposes while still being aware of the long term impact of what we put online. This really made me reflect on how even casual posts or trends can become part of our lasting digital footprint. Overall, this was a thoughtful and engaging post that pushed me to think more carefully about my own online presence.
ReplyDeleteHi Emily, cool post! I was also using TikTok during the pandemic and became addicted. This also led to me making videos with my friends to all the different trends. Even though it was super cringe, the art of making it all together and laughing is some awesome memories for us. I also talked about how me and my friends are using our socials to stay updated with the news and using our voices to give it attention. I liked the quote you pulled out for that point, because social platforms are helpful ways to share information and issues, and even more important when people with many followers use their platforms to speak out about social and political issues. This is even more crucial since social media seems to be a huge way that most young people consume news. All of your concerns and supports for digital media are very valid! The benefits seem to enhance learning and creativity, so with all of these concerns it's important to find access, responsible, safe, and balanced ways for this to work in classrooms!
ReplyDeleteHi Emily! I can definitely relate to your post a lot. I also used to post super cringey stuff on the internet during the pandemic, and some of it still haunts me to this day. But, to your point at the end of your blog post, it's important for kids to have a space where they can freely express themselves outside of the classroom. That can include cringey Tik Toks with your friends and other creative pieces you decide to share on the internet. I like how you brought up that this kind of digital literacy can help students be engaged in subjects that they wouldn't normal want to engage with. I feel like, especially today, kids view reading and writing more as a chore than something that they have the privilege to do. This kind of rhetoric can be combatted through the use of digital literacies and promoting the idea that multi-modal creation is, in fact, reading and writing. Super awesome post! I look forward to seeing other posts from you!
ReplyDeleteEmily, similar to the many others chiming in, I was very drawn to how your described your online, digital engagement. The pandemic was a definite resurgence of social media and civic engagement online as well. I especially appreciate how your organize your experiences according to expressions and circulations. This is very helpful for illustrating how literacy practice look and move differently online.
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