Which of the following contributes to your online identity?.
A.Social networking sites
b. Audio-enabled digital assistants (e.g., Siri, Alexa)
c. Fitness trackers
d. All of these
Answer: d. All of these
The case with all the mentioned choices, social networking sites, audio-enabled digital assistants, together with fitness trackers is that all of them play a substantial role in making an individual’s online persona in today’s interconnected digital arena. This global footprint is developed through a series of technological and web-based interfaces, each contributing to one dimension of an individual’s persona.
Consequently, social networking sites are the primary sites that define users’ online identity. Many social networks including Facebook and Pinterest allow their users to form profiles, input personal data, maintain blogs and communicate with others. Such activities portray a person’s hobbies, associates, work play, and those occurrences that make up a person’s daily life. Likely, a person’s Facebook timeline gives the viewer a desired look at his/her life with pictures of travelling, career achievements, and social activities.
Therefore, audio-enabled digital assistants such as Apple’s ‘Siri’ or Amazon’s ‘Alexa’ are also involved in forming online identity, but to a lesser extent as compared to SNSs. The use of such AI-powered tools means that the device learns from the users where it saves data on voice patterns, the most frequently asked queries and many more. Such information makes up a user’s digital footprint, which impacts the presented suggestions and procedures. For instance, Alexa is likely to recall a user’s favourite gen or requested data/ information that constitutes part of their online identity.
Other gadgets expand the notion of online identity by tracking individuals’ physical activity and related information. Smart gear such as Fitbit or Apple Watch counts physical movements, sleep, and even pulse rate. This data which is given or taken on connected apps or social networks, participates in the construction of a user’s digital health record. Someone’s jogging paths, counts, or fitness accomplishments can be turned into his/her public profile that may determine their status in online worlds of health-related communities, and perhaps in connection with insurance companies.
In concert, it is possible to build multiple layers of virtual persona, based on the complexity of a person’s online presence, which includes communication practices/interactions, interests, health and daily behaviours. It can become also tangible in the sense that it may affect a person’s opportunities in work, social connection, and advertisements which are tailored to a particular individual.
Leave a Reply