Digital tattoos - the parts of ourselves that we share online for others to see - aren't so easily removed, including social media tattoos. Since Facebook is the social media platform that I'm most active on, let's take a look at digital tattoos on Facebook. It's true that anyone can delete a post. Presuming that a post hasn't been shared on other profiles, or forever captured with a screenshot, I could delete any Facebook post. I could even delete my whole account. Nonetheless, the impressions that I've made on others through my Facebook account cannot be washed away as easily as a temporary tattoo. Our digital tattoos can be permanent - or at least, difficult to change - because we are perceived through the lens of our social media accounts. It can be easy to forget that we're being perceived when we post, even when we set our posts' privacy to friends-only.
To put this "privacy" in perspective, look around the room. Now look back at your phone, or computer, or whatever screen you're using. Just imagine, all your Facebook friends crammed like sardines in this one room. They're watching what you type, what photos you include, and how you respond to comments. It wouldn't feel nearly as private, would it? For me, that's 140 people seeing my digital tattoo - or in other words, my digital persona.
What does my digital persona say about me? Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? (Yes, I'm referencing Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.)
To explore this digital tattoo, I analyzed 2 sets of Facebook posts. First, we'll examine my 25 most recent Facebook posts. Then, we'll examine my first 25 Facebook posts, traveling back in time to when I made my Facebook account on March 13th, 2022. Has my digital persona changed over time? Let's find out!
Data Set #1: January 2024-April 2024
For my first set of data, I had 7 Facebook posts in January, 8 posts in February, 8 posts in March, and 2 posts in April (as of April 10th, 2024). This data shows that my number of posts per month is pretty consistent. Since I often lurk on Facebook, rather than actively post, it's not surprising that my number of posts per month is relatively small - at least, compared to some of my Facebook friends who post more frequently. However, just because my number of posts is smaller doesn't mean my digital tattoo is smaller. These posts can say a lot about me for any Facebook friend scrolling down my profile.
Scrolling down my profile, you wouldn't just see what I've posted; you'd also see what my friends have posted when they've tagged me. Anytime a friend tags me, I review the post before it's added to my timeline, which helps me control what's posted on my wall. This privacy setting, Timeline Review, helps me ensure that my digital tattoo is a tattoo that I want. After all, I wouldn't want a surprise tattoo, such as a friend tagging me in something that reflected poorly on me. Even if this situation is unlikely, I can't say it's impossible. Since I chose to include these tagged posts on my wall, I made these posts a part of my digital tattoo.
Examining this data, I realized that some of my favorite posts are the ones where friends had thoughtfully tagged me, such as the posts below (names omitted for privacy protection.)
Although my friends had tagged me, I had not tagged my friends in this set of Facebook posts. To make the most out of my digital tattoo in the future, I'd like to remember to celebrate friends, community organizations, and causes as a part of my digital tattoo. It brings to mind The Social Institute's article Using Tech for Good: Positive Ways Students Are Navigating Social Media. This article shared how students can use social media to "build a community that supports and uplifts them." Students can also "recognize and celebrate the achievements of their peers," just like my professor celebrated my poetry reading. I hope to be more intentional about taking the time to celebrate others through my Facebook posts. That way, my Facebook account can be not only a digital scrapbook, but also a digital encouragement board for my online community.
Speaking of encouragement, I found that my posts were overwhelmingly positive. Of the 25 posts, 24 had a positive tone, while 1 had a mixed tone. For context on this outlier post, I'd asked for memes to cheer me up, though I did not specify why I needed cheering that day, keeping the details of my mental health on the private side. I tend to keep negative posts off of Facebook for a couple reasons. First, I have a wide range of Facebook friends, which includes coworkers and other professional connections. If it's not suited for work, it's not suited for Facebook. Second, I don't want my bad days to be a part of my digital tattoo. Instead, I choose to curate a digital persona that is positive in nature. Does this omission of the bad days make my Facebook account inauthentic, since I leave out negative emotional experiences?
On the contrary, I'd say that my Facebook is still authentic to who I am. I'm simply choosing to share certain parts of who I am, just like I'd choose to share certain parts of myself at work, and certain parts with friends, and certain parts with a partner. Additionally, since my brain can often perceive situations negatively and experience negative emotions strongly, it's incredibly helpful for me to have a space that cultivates positivity. It's a mindfulness practice for me to curate a positive space, while finding spaces (besides Facebook) where I can more appropriately process and more gently welcome negative emotions.
Aside from analyzing the tone of the posts, I analyzed the content of the posts by assigning tags to each post. Bearing in mind that some posts had multiple tags, here's a breakdown of my posts:
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All in all, I'd say that these Facebook posts reflect my interests quite well. As one example, the "nature" category included 3 separate posts featuring photos of squirrels, along with other posts featuring photos of cranes, mourning doves, and the Orchid Show of Wonders at the Chicago Botanic Garden. As another example, the "GG" category refers to my snake GG. GG boasted the only post to feature a video, since I'd shared this video combining GG and a song from The Lion King (wait till the end for the snake yawn!) Side note, I made this particular post public for the sake of sharing the GG video. Every other post of mine in this data set is friends-only and features photos, demonstrating that I post when I have something visual to share. Although most posts feature between 1 and 3 photos, I made an exception for the aforementioned Chicago Botanic Garden post, which included 25 photos of orchids, cool plants, and selfies with my cool friend.
Speaking of the number 25, let's dive into another set of 25 Facebook posts. Now that we've examined my 25 newest posts, we'll examine the first 25 posts on my Facebook account. I'd created this account on March 14th, 2022, meaning that my Facebook is two years old. How do my posts compare over time? Let's find out!
Data Set #2: March 2022-May 2022
Text Source: Aron Ryan's Facebook Profile
2024 Word Cloud:
Text Source: Aron Ryan's Facebook Profile
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This is a wonderful, introspective look at your posts and how they have evolved. Thank you for taking us on this journey with you, Aron. Your charts are excellent and word clouds so fun to see! I have to say, that is the first time I've ever watched a snake yawn, too!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much for reading and for the encouraging feedback! It was my first time capturing a snake yawn on camera, so it was fun for me as well!
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteYou really paint a realistic picture about how Facebook friends watch your account. I could not imagine everyone being in one room to see what I am typing but that is exactly what is going on. I love the way you mention the fact that your social media presence is only a part of who you are as a person. I feel the same way. I also believe that most people are still their authentic selves while online because social media allows you to tap into a part of yourself you may not otherwise share. This is an amazing post! You have really captured the essence and use of Facebook realistically. Thank you so much for these insights.
Hello, Anthony! Very well said, how social media allows you to tap into a part of yourself that you might not share in spaces besides social media. I appreciate you taking the time to read my post and to share your own perspectives!
DeleteHello Aron,
ReplyDeleteSomething you said at the beginning of your post dredged up a memory from my time in early high school where the students were shown this safety video revolving around what we are describing as our digital tattoo. The video talked about how once you post something online it never went away no matter how much you want it to. Now, you wrote further on that you keep your facebook profile mostly cheery because you do not want other people knowing your private life and I believe that I do the same thing. While I have many friends on social media I do not feel a need to actively post private thoughts.
Hello, Simon! I definitely understand where you're coming from when it comes to sharing private thoughts in spaces more private than social media spaces. I find it interesting how some of my Facebook friends post play-by-play updates of tough life situations. I think it's a way for them to find the support they need, which I respect; I just know I'll personally better find that support in in-person spaces, rather than digital spaces. I appreciate you taking the time to read and to share your perspective!
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