In 2025, a majority of our lives happen online. We may post photos on Instagram, tweet about our thoughts on X, or scroll endlessly on TikTok. Beyond using social media, we are also shopping online, paying bills electronically, watching shows, and doing maybe school work. Everything you do forms your digital identity, the way the world sees you if they look you up online. Whether you want to believe it or not, your digital footprint and identity say a lot about who you are. From what you post, what you like, and even comment on, it is out there for people to see.
Creating Content
I am a content creator mostly on TikTok and Instagram. However, neither of those accounts is my personal account per se. When I was at Onondaga Community College, I had multiple courses where I would have to post a specific number of times per week. After graduating from OCC, I haven’t posted any “personal” content. As of right now, I only post on TikTok and Instagram when I get free products from an app and have to review them on those platforms. In a way, that makes me feel like I am part of the influencer community, even if I’m not reaching hundreds or thousands of people. I do not feel the need to post anything happening in my life for everyone (practically strangers) to see. If I want you to know something, you would hear it from me. WordPress is a new media that I have joined, and I am thoroughly enjoying it. It’s basically a blog for people to see, but it’s not mainstream, so only specific people will see it. On all of these platforms, I am showing different versions of myself to kind of cater to the people and what is interesting and what is not.
Consuming Content
I consume a lot of content, and I mean A LOT! I am constantly checking between TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. Many of these platforms are multimodal, which means they use text, images, video, and audio. For example, TikTok might show you a short video, but there’s music, a caption, and edits all layered together to make it much more engaging. Unfortunately for me, most of the TikToks I watch peak my interest, so then I’m left doom scrolling (terrible habit I know)! YouTube is similar; however, the videos are long form, so watching vlogs or hauls of new things people buy. I do use Snapchat as well. It’s not as popular as it used to be, but somehow it’s still a lot of people’s main form of communication. It’s very casual and more personal than sending a text to someone. You send selfies with text, maybe even music, and you kind of get that more personal communication with someone, so you don’t have to see them in person.
Multimodality
Most of my online activity is multimodal. On TikTok and Instagram, you combine video/ pictures with music and captions, and hashtags; you don’t just have one thing. Even when shopping online, there are multiple modes, including product images, videos, descriptions, and reviews. Multimodality makes the online experience better and helps whether you are learning, getting entertainment, or expressing yourself
Online Identity Vs. Real Identity
When I think about everything with my online self and my real-life self, I think they match up pretty closely. On TikTok, my For You page (your specific interests) shows my hobbies, my personality, and what I like and don’t like. Obviously, online, you can kind of put on a show and portray yourself as better and more “polished” than you might actually be in person. People don’t know what’s going on in your life, they just see what you want them to see, which, in a way, is harmful.
Takeaways
I have realized how much of my digital identity is shaped by the content I consume, and not only what I create. When I googled myself, not much came up, which I am kind of thankful for. As fun and exciting as being internet famous would be, that lifestyle isn’t something I would like. I like being a sort of mystery and having my identity hidden from people. The internet and social media can be a very scary place, so knowing what people can and cannot see about me on the internet is important.
Future
As my time in college progresses, of course, I have been thinking about the unfortunate, having to get a big girl job. When job searching, employers might check my social media before hiring me, so the way I present myself now might affect my opportunities later on. Right now, I spend the majority of my downtime consuming content, but I am quickly realizing how important your digital identity really is. This whole writing piece has shown me how my online self reflects who I am offline. After this, I still want to protect my privacy, but when/ if I do post, I want it to be authentic to me and my digital identity.
