How do we as individuals project ourselves on the web? How do we view the internet and in what ways do we use it? Dr. Dave White of Oxford University has an interesting view on how each of us differ from one another in terms of our motivations for using the internet. In what he calls the Visitor Resident Principle, there is a spectrum on which people reside that sort of defines their approach to the web, especially in social media environments. On one end, "visitor" refers to those who use the internet as a tool and avoids leaving a presence for various reasons. Conversely a "resident" is someone who is comfortable maintaining an online persona and who lives partially online so-to-speak. Of course, nobody is seemingly one total extreme or the other (although some come close), White explains that this is a continuum where people move in both directions.
In watching Dr. White's presentation, it's hard not to automatically place yourself on the spectrum. In fact, I began to cycle through my various accounts and behaviors in my head to define myself in a way as a visitor or resident. Being the indecisive thinker that I am I naturally decided that I'm somewhere in between although slightly skewed towards a visitor. While I do have several social media accounts, I found myself nodding in agreement to Dr. White's description. That is, my interactions and persona on social media platforms such as my Facebook, Instagram, and others are minimal and my main justifications for maintaining these accounts include my desire to stay up to date and informed rather than to flaunt my thoughts. On the bright side, as an aspiring teacher who desires to develop an effective PLN I see myself rapidly moving towards the residential side from an institutional standpoint as Dr. White suggests. Nonetheless, I see the internet as more of a messy toolbox than a living space.
In watching Dr. White's presentation, it's hard not to automatically place yourself on the spectrum. In fact, I began to cycle through my various accounts and behaviors in my head to define myself in a way as a visitor or resident. Being the indecisive thinker that I am I naturally decided that I'm somewhere in between although slightly skewed towards a visitor. While I do have several social media accounts, I found myself nodding in agreement to Dr. White's description. That is, my interactions and persona on social media platforms such as my Facebook, Instagram, and others are minimal and my main justifications for maintaining these accounts include my desire to stay up to date and informed rather than to flaunt my thoughts. On the bright side, as an aspiring teacher who desires to develop an effective PLN I see myself rapidly moving towards the residential side from an institutional standpoint as Dr. White suggests. Nonetheless, I see the internet as more of a messy toolbox than a living space.