With the advancement of social media and expansion of the data on the internet….. there’s a fine line now between our business image and our personal image. There was a time not too long ago where we could separate different aspects of our lives. We didn’t have to be too concerned with cutting loose with our friends on the weekends because moments we’d soon wish to forget becomes memories and just old stories of the past. Our professional image could stay intact because nobody really cared what you did Sat. night as long as you produced during your working hours.
Nowadays our every moment is captured and documented for all the world to see. In essence, we may even feel more connected than ever before. Every morning when I check my Facebook feed, in 10 minutes I would know what Sally had for dinner, my cousins new girlfriend, a new apartment on the market and what my girlfriend living halfway around the world is having for breakfast. We get a peek into their lives and really, if you think about it, their minds and what values they have…… because what you choose to feed for others to see is a choice…. it’s the Image you put out.
No longer can we really separate our professional image and our personal image. So it may be time to evaluate who we really are and how we want the world to see us.
Jun 14, 2012 @ 18:26:41
So true! I couldn’t agree with you more, Judy!
It’s important that individuals approach social media not as a “time-killer” or purely as an entertainment platform but as an element in one’s life that can affect their profession in the long-term! Now that YouTube videos, Tweets, and even old blog posts can be documented or even archived makes it even more important that we put thought on when leaving a digital footprint anywhere in cyberspace.