Johnnie Allen Jr. —It's More Than Just a Name It Is My Identity
For so long, I have wondered why I have never fully adopted or embraced a pseudonym on the social media sites I engage. For example, when we were tasked with developing our blogger sites for class, I started debating whether I would be displayed as myself. I could not overcome the challenge of needing to be creative if I chose the pseudonym route, so I settled on just identifying as myself because that felt easier. Another reason I have not embraced a pseudonym because I never felt the "need" to engage as someone else. After all, I thought I was just myself. Regardless of the spaces I enter, this has come with various challenges, mainly because not all spaces support individuals being their authentic selves. Web 2.0 and digital media sites serve multiple purposes, allowing individuals to escape reality and live in this fully virtual space with an alter ego. It provides people with community, knowledge, resources, and so forth. Dr. Vanessa Dennen's (2009) article regarding identity issues that can occur in blogger spaces provided me with some informative insights as I thought more about how I am showing up in our class #EME 6414 blogger site and on the digital sites for class. Therefore, why should anyone follow socially constructed beliefs about how to BE in their virtual space and reality? Whether they choose a pseudonym, their name, or a nickname, it should be fully up to the individual to make that decision, as their voice is being shared. Dennen (2009) states, "although a few bloggers naively hold the belief that pseudonyms will keep them from being identifiable when they begin blogging, they rapidly learn otherwise" (p.31). My goal throughout this summer term is to be me and allow my individual voice to be shared fully in my blogger post. As I develop my blogger identity, I want to figure out how to blog freely while staying true to who I am, not having to do this behind the constraints of a pseudonym based on how others feel I should be as a professional pursuing a Ph.D. in Higher Education, etc.
When I think about my name Johnnie Allen Jr., it has become attached to who I am and ingrained in my identity. Isn't that the case for all our names? My answer would be yes, and I have grown to know that my name for me means so much more than just a name. Johnnie Allen Jr. has become a part of my "brand" and identity, and with this brand, I hope it is seen as genuine, authentic, real, transparent, graceful, humble, loving, and so much more. I continuously learn about my identity in social, academic, and now blog-based communities.
How are you constructing your blogger identity? Is it something you are content with, or is it something you are doing because it seems like the right thing? Everyone should be able to be themselves in virtual and non-virtual spaces and not allow their individual opinions to be reflective of their job/institution, for example. Some people just want to post and share their thoughts that are in their heads and to do so in a completely open and free platform. Choosing to share as little or as much as they'd prefer.
Mr. Johnnie Allen Jr.! GREAT POST! Thank you so much for talking about your identity and brand as it relates to your name. The name is the doorway that leads to the heart and wow do I feel your heart and soul in this post here. Your name also means so much, it means turmoil and traction along with resilience and empowerment. We have had discussions in the past of names and their associated pronunciations and how the correct pronunciation is just as important as the name itself. As I reflect on your question of my blogger identity, I certainly think about the fact that my name is signed on each of those posts. I love the opportunity to take and learn from the readings and apply to our current world through the blogs. I am proud of my blogs and my name attached to it. Thank you for expressing your authentic thoughts on this topic (soon to be) Dr. Allen!
Hi Ravi! Thank you, friend! I truly appreciate it and your support along this journey. Our name's are so important and it is only right that we fully embrace them! Yes! The conversation about pronunciation, we have to correct people when it is wrong! Proud of you for making those adjustments.
I have always loved social media and my relationship with digital devices and platforms. However, it has been an adjustment throughout this course. EME 6414 has required me to be far more engaged on social media, which is okay, but I should have thought about how tired I could be from constantly trying to keep up and engage with multiple aspects of the online world. We are surrounded by and consumed by digital media in our everyday lives. The digital detox challenge could not have come at a better time; this challenge helped me take a break from everything I have felt overwhelmed by. The biggest challenge for this particular #EME6414 challenge was that I experienced moments where I felt like I missed out on information that could be beneficial to me in the real and digital world. I began with silencing notifications of the various social media apps I use daily, and after completing that, I decided to put my phone on do not disturb (DND). The DND feature on iPhones has been life-chang
Class pulse check! I have been wondering if others have felt similar feelings that I have when it comes to missing some of the challenge opportunities or missing commenting and exploring other classmates' blogs, etc. I often reflect at the end of each week and think about ways to improve for the following week. Some weeks have improved, but I still need to overcome the obstacle of missing something! I offer myself grace in this situation as I engage a lot and in multiple contexts, but I am still missing something. I don't know if that ever goes away because it is not humanly possible to be at all places (even online spaces) at once. What do you do when you feel you have "missed" something? Do you set new goals for the following week? Do you have accountable partners? Do you have reminders? In addition to these probing questions, how do you handle the moments when you don't meet the goals you had set for the week? I am all for wanting to engage and engage in sev
Overall this week was one of my favorites! I was able to participate and engage in multiple challenges, and the best challenge of them all was on Twitter. Twitter has become the social media app I constantly use, and I love the direction that my personal Twitter is evolving with a mix of my doctoral identity and leadership educator identity while also sharing the highs and lows of my experience. I discuss the joys of teaching, presenting, and doing research with outstanding faculty; while sharing updates about my life and the specific day I might have had, whether good or bad. I want to continue to be authentic when engaging in higher education. I want individuals to always feel comfortable speaking with me and knowing that I, too, am human, regardless of the level of education I might hold or even positions later on in my career. In this week's Twitter challenge, I was able to be funny with my Gif choices while also profoundly thinking about what I wanted to share for the challe
Mr. Johnnie Allen Jr.! GREAT POST! Thank you so much for talking about your identity and brand as it relates to your name. The name is the doorway that leads to the heart and wow do I feel your heart and soul in this post here. Your name also means so much, it means turmoil and traction along with resilience and empowerment. We have had discussions in the past of names and their associated pronunciations and how the correct pronunciation is just as important as the name itself. As I reflect on your question of my blogger identity, I certainly think about the fact that my name is signed on each of those posts. I love the opportunity to take and learn from the readings and apply to our current world through the blogs. I am proud of my blogs and my name attached to it. Thank you for expressing your authentic thoughts on this topic (soon to be) Dr. Allen!
ReplyDeleteHi Ravi! Thank you, friend! I truly appreciate it and your support along this journey. Our name's are so important and it is only right that we fully embrace them! Yes! The conversation about pronunciation, we have to correct people when it is wrong! Proud of you for making those adjustments.
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