What's Your Handle? Avoiding Mistaken Identity

Recently I posted a picture of a student and her work on the library's Instagram account. She had given me permission and even gave me her Instagram handle to tag her. I use IFTTT so my Instagram posts go directly to Twitter. The problem: she does not have a Twitter account and the handle she uses for Instagram handle is owned by someone else, who's profile pic made me look like...
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This got me thinking about our students who are applying for colleges and jobs. We know that schools and employers investigate candidates on social media. In fact, interviewers may pose questions such as "What would I learn about you from your social media accounts?" 

I decided to have an awkward but very enlightening conversation (for both the student and for me) with the student. We discussed how an future employer, college admissions agent, or even a future mother-in-law might know of her Instagram account and go to check for her on other social media platforms, assuming she uses the same handle. 

The student immediately not only changed her Instagram handle she opened a Twitter account using that same handle. She has no intention of using Twitter at this point but she can now avoid mistaken identity, putting her in control of her online identity and digital footprint.

Do you work with teenagers? Think about having the discussion of handles and how that handle appears across platforms, even on social media they do not use. I liked this student's solution to grab and own one handle across the main social media platforms. Let's teach students how to avoid mistaken identity.

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