How to Play Your Public and Private Social Media Accounts

Let’s face it: Many of us have social media accounts. Most likely, you have multiple.

Thus, how we present ourselves on the internet can be increasingly hard to keep up with.

However, the question of what kind of presence you should have online is not quite cut and dry.

Most of us employ the use of various privacy settings to control our account and, therefore, how people see us. We control our persona (whether ‘low-key’ or ‘carefree’) depending on the audience. Having two Instagram profiles is a perfect example of this.

It’s becoming more and more popular to have a public (‘rinstagram’) and private (‘finstagram’) account. The public account is carefully crafted for the outside audience, including perhaps older or distant relatives, work colleagues and people we’re just not that close to. A lot more consideration typically goes into what gets posted here: think ‘vacay’ snaps and fun activities. In contrast, ‘private’ accounts can be spammed with hundreds or even thousands of pics. These posts can include daily thoughts, small accomplishment and a rollercoaster of emotional posts, meant to be seen by those deemed trustworthy enough to be in your ‘inner circle’.

People do the same on Snapchat (with group stories and controlling who can see them) and Facebook (by customising who can view your posts). So, to an extent, you don’t need to keep your social media presence completely ‘low-key’, because you can still have a loud presence for your trusted pals.

However, when it comes to cultivating a public social media persona, there are some important things to consider. Firstly, could a wild social media persona negatively impact your employment or other professional life? For example, are there posts or pictures your work might find inappropriate?

Also, are you an aspiring teacher? You might want to avoid posting about radical opinions (like a certain Kanye West) or late night drunken snaps.

Conversely, a loud and proud social media presence could be advantageous to your career or aspirations if you’re a creative type, hoping to become a musician, vlogger, TV host or presenter. With goals like these it can be important to carve out your own distinct personality on the internet.

Still, no matter what, it’s always a good idea to be careful about what you post, for the sake of any negative repercussions.

Congratulations to Tyler for winning this week's writing challenge: Should You Keep Your Social Media Persona Low-Key? Tyler wins a $50 Westfield gift card for her submission. For your chance to win, check out our latest writing challenges in our Competitions section. Also, be sure to follow this guide on how to win the writing challenge.

Photo: iStock.com/oneinchpunch