As a social network junkie I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a secret rush when I find I have several new Twitter follows or I get a direct message from someone I respect. I have often been victim to this sense of anxiety over what Christine Rosen refers to as “status seeking” in the article “Virtual Friendship and the New Narcissism”. I have experienced this feeling of urgency in wanting to brand myself a certain way on Twitter so I am prepared for potential networking opportunities that may arise or when asking for a flattering testimonial on LinkediN.
While a great deal of my SNS activity is self-induced, I feel it affecting my life differently than previously. While before my personal endeavors were more for personal satisfied now I feel pressure to perform a certain way. For example, I recently had an interview where the interviewer asked me how many followers I had on twitter. This was considered a serious qualification. Another interviewer added me on Facebook before we even met. This was uncomfortable because I felt like I was being seized up in an unfair setting. At times I have felt like I am just trying to stay afloat in the vast sea of my online entities. I have asked myself the most absurd, but sadly relevant of questions: What if my potential employee doesn’t like grunge or metal ? Will that effect if I get the job or now ? Will my favorite movie offend her ? The possibilities are endless. Like what if she finds this blog ? I even know journalism students who have been discouraged from displaying their religious or political views on SNS sites. Is the price for gaining “digital neighbors” too much ? I think this is even more damaging than misrepresenting oneself online, as Rosen argues.
SNS sites use to be places were people went to unleash their alter egos or strengthen/create friendships. Now these sites have evolved into places where people feel pressure to present their selves a certain way. With employers, co-workers, and other professional contacts start friending individuals on SNS sites that were previously used for social reason, these sites become volatile.
I am now feel like I am obligated to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of my online profile. If I put too many interests I may seem unforced or cluttered, but if I don’t put enough than I may appear one dimensional. This constant struggle of balancing a personal and professional image online is exhausting. This takes all the fun out the site. I know just feel like I am trying to sell myself, and it is not fun.
Don’t get me wrong, the networking that is available on SNS sites is invaluable, but I still am reluctant to forgo the personal aspects of my online profiles. I feel like I am being robbed of something because these awkward connections on SNS sites exist. For instance, I am friends with woman on a scholarship committee ( I am recipient of this scholarship), my mom’s friends, my ex boyfriend’s mom, and a previous supervisor. These are just a few examples of my uncomfortable online relationships. I am friends with these people to avoid outside hassles, but they force me to compartmentalize my online life. I am mildly bitter about this “evolution” , but I predict that I will slowly weed online the private aspects of my online life (as I have been) and shift more towards the professional.
http://mashable.com/2009/04/08/social-media-recruitment/






