So I made this about.me page today: about.me/kemplyons
We live in a world where it's so easy to push your ideas and image out there. My thoughts wouldn't be worth the paper they're printed on if this was thirty years ago, but, thanks to the magic of the internet, anyone can read my blather any time of day!
We have Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Flickr, LinkedIn, Instagram, Wordpress, and I know I'm missing some. About.me claims to be able to be a one-stop shop for your online identity.
But why do we need an online identity? Since when did Personal Branding become a thing? What happened to buckling down and working hard at doing something - not just marketing yourself until someone hires you?
Sound off in the comments. I genuinely want to hear some thoughts here. Personal Branding: necessary evil in an information economy or penultimate egotism that takes away from our ability to create anything outside of our own image?
3 comments:
I suppose I don't have a lot of experience in shaping my personal 'brand' for professional purposes, but I do take a lot of time to consider what I do and do not post on social media websites. When I saw you on Sunday you mentioned that my posts are generally very upbeat and light hearted, and wanted to know the reality behind life overseas. I suppose that I am rather guilty of filtering my online presence and only presenting the positive things. In fact, I get really irritated by people who are chronically negative online. It might just be part of my personality, but I like to be an encourager and an uplifter. If what I'm posting isn't going to be funny/informative/clever then - to me - why bother? I've written many facebook status' that I've never published because I don't need facebook to hear about my bad days. I have a support system for that, you know?
I do put a lot of thought into what I post on my facebook page though. I find it really fascinating to see what garners a lot of 'likes' and comments. For example, belly pictures? I've found the key to a popular belly picture is, obviously, a good picture but also a cute/clever caption. I feel like that is part of a personal brand that I put forward. I want people to WANT to hear/read what I have to say.
I also feel a sense of responsibility for presenting myself in a certain light due to the fact that our lifestyle is greatly supported by others. Which is why my facebook page is significantly more censored than my twitter, where I will occasionally allow myself to post the relatively negative tweet.
I guess I'm just rambling now and I'm not even sure this adds much value to the conversation, but I do take into consideration my 'brand'/how I want to people to perceive me in almost everything I post online.
Including this :)
To be completely honest... we all care too much about eachother's thoughts- in the way they relate to us. What will people think if I say... this? If only we cared enough about Others' thoughts, more than our own and the perception of our own. If we would seek to discern the heart of the one who wrote the thoughts... whether they spoke life and truth, emptiness, distraction, and drivel, or even death and darkness- petty complaints and hatred, we could learn from them, and know how to pray for them. We were not put on this earth to approve of or disapprove eachother... Or to bring glory to ourselves. So, in essence, I believe your question is, should I be marketing Me? And my answer is, No. Though every movie, commercial, product, etc will tell you differently. I'll put up a description of who I am, write a thought here and there, hopefully as God leads... But I have learned if I am to speak (or type) so that many can hear me, I'd better be ready to take the responsibility of what I say. Did I speak life or death into my reader's life? Was it all about me or did I glorify God and encourage my fellow man? If I am not encouraging or edifying... admonishing, or challenging with my words, then they are empty, worthless, and sometimes destructive- distracting from what really matters; God and our relationship with Him. If there's anything that stands in the way of that, cut it out. Sin, as they say, is anything that separates us from Him. For some, it Is social media. My biggest one? journaling. First, on-line blogging, then... just on paper. I wrote down daily life. It started out as edifying and admonishing, encouraging, but soon became the motions... something to take up my time and help me unwind. God is the best stress reliever ever, and He is jealous of our time, talent, and love. I spent more time with a journal than I did with Him! All I can say now... now that it's been about a year since I quit, may time with Him be my only addiction. (*ynthia
I've been thinking a lot about this over the last year or so. Most of my thoughts have been spurred on since the birth of my daughter. I wrote a post about it here.
There's a lot of different directions this conversation could go, but I think my singular thought from your questions is this: I don't think I would classify it as an evil, but I do think it's inevitable, and I think we need to recognize the inherent pull towards egotism, and actively work against it.
From a Christian's point-of-view, at all times (and I think, in all mediums), we are supposed to reflect the nature of our true identity IN Christ. With respect to our online identity, that doesn't change. While others may craft their online identity to make themselves look great with an awesome Personal Brand, are we making Christ look great (through our highs AND our lows)? Are we brand ambassadors for what real, authentic Christianity looks like?
Lots more to dig in there, but at least that's where my mind went to first. It's yet another opportunity we have to take part in the ministry of Christ reconciling all things to himself.
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