Blogocentric Formulations

Day 6: Profile Pictures on Social Media Sites

*Written as part of the "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" 

Day 6 Prompt: How long has it been since you changed the image on your biography page? Browse around your fellow competitors' bio pages and hopefully they have something up for you to see. "Profile Pictures" are commonplace on most social websites, so I want you to discuss them. What is appropriate? Do you show your face, or display mostly ambiguous pictures? Why?

I don't change my profile picture too often; if I had to guess, I'd say I swap it out a couple times a year at most. My Writing.Com profile pic is an object, but I use actual photos for my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and most other social networking sites. Originally I didn't include an actual picture of myself on Writing.Com because I was using my "SoCalScribe" handle. I suppose there isn't much reason to keep using a random image at this point, except for the fact that I kinda like the multicolored filmstrip I've been using so I'll probably stick with it.

I understand why some people choose to use ambiguous or impersonal images for their profile pictures; there's a certain sense of vulnerability and nakedness that comes with putting personal information is out there for everyone to see, and a big photo of yourself can seem like giving away "too much" of yourself to the digital ether. The reason I use my own photos for social media, though, is because I don't really see much point in hiding. I don't go out of my way to post deeply personal information - and actually consider myself pretty reserved in terms of what I choose to share - but If someone really wanted to discover my identity, or my address, or where I worked, I don't think it would be too difficult for them to put the pieces together. So I'm very much of the mindset that when it comes to the digital age, it's an all or nothing thing with your identity... you either never post anything personal, or you accept the fact that someone can put the pieces of the puzzle together given enough motivation, time, and know-how.

Part of the reason I have this opinion is because the "what is appropriate" aspect of it, at least for me, is something I take seriously. I don't post embarrassing pictures of myself. I don't post status updates that I haven't carefully considered and weighed the pros and cons of posting. I don't engage in flame wars or other online confrontations. I very much ascribe to that advice that you shouldn't post anything you wouldn't be okay also showing to your neighbors, your parents, and/or your boss. I really hate the fact that people can "tag" you in their posts and photos, but then again, part of the whole "what is appropriate" aspect extends to who I'm friends with and how I conduct myself offline too.

Ultimately, I think whether a person uses an actual picture of themselves or an image of something else is up to them. I usually use my real photo because I think its helpful for people who want to find me (especially on Facebook and LinkedIn, which I use primarily to connect with old school buddies, coworkers, etc.), but I totally understand people who want to preserve just a little bit of anonymity and have a vague profile picture. As long as they understand that it doesn't make them impervious to scrutiny or identification. We leave digital footprints everywhere, and it's a shame when someone finds out the hard way that their secret identity wasn't so secret after all.