My Digital Space

Image from Framepool.com

We all use the internet differently! Some of us grew up using smart technology, and some of us learned to surf the web using the infamous MySpace page in the early 2000's. We have all been exposed to the internet at some point regardless of our current comfort-level navigating these spaces. David White proposed a spectrum for "digital mapping". Digital mapping helps to identify how and why we use the internet for different tasks. David White categorizes internet users along a spectrum with 'Visitor' and 'Resident' at opposite ends.

Visitor users have a specific task in mind when they open the internet. They want to find information, and they usually do not leave a personal trace. On the other hand, resident users intend to connect with other people and leave a personal trace. Digital mapping then compares our visitor or resident status in both our personal and professional lives. This concept was easier for me to grasp with visual examples. Here is an example of my own personal digital map:

Personal Image made on Google Draw

As you can see, a majority of the websites and apps I use consistently are personal accounts. In my professional life, I am usually emailing colleagues, submitting assignments for school, or searching for information about my job.

Am I a resident or visitor internet user???

I spend about half my time on the internet as a visitor and the other half as resident.

There are several apps and websites that I use in visitor mode- a.k.a. I use the internet as more of a tool than a place.The websites I frequently visit are YouTube, the Ventra app, Lyft, Amazon, and my banking account. I use these apps for information and buying items.

I also consider myself a resident user of some websites- I login with the intention to comment, post pictures, and browse through what coworkers, friends, and family are posting. The websites I reside on are Instagram, Twitter, Canvas, my email app, and Snapchat. I use these apps to communicate with colleagues, professors, friends, and family.

Takeaways from mapping my digital space...

The most surprising thing about mapping my digital space was how few websites and apps I use regularly in my professional life. My workplace does use Embrace and Illuminate for IEP and attendance tracking. I would have considered myself a resident user on these websites this past fall when I was the long-term maternity substitute. As a paraprofessional, I never use these websites, so they aren't currently on my digital map. I recently created a professional twitter account, and I look forward to building a place where I can connect with other educators. Mapping my digital space pointed out that I should build up my professional presence online. I'd like to identify as a resident user in more professional spaces.

Thanks for checking out my digital map!