Sweetser: Managing Identities Online is Important

Creating and managing an online identity is extremely important, according to an assistant professor of public relations at the University of Georgia today in an interview with students.
Kaye Sweetser, whose research focuses primarily on the use of social media, claimed that individuals must not only take steps to control what people see on social networking sites, but also should create a professional online persona for potential employers to see.
“You need an online presence because whether you realize it or not, you already have one,” Sweetser said, referring to the broad use of the networking site Facebook by students. She encouraged the use of LinkedIn, a site Sweetser called “the professional Facebook.”
She also spoke of the growing importance of social media as a communication tool for political candidates. While it used to be a requisite for candidates to make appearances on late night talk show such as Jay Leno or David Letterman, it is now just as important to appear on social and viral websites, Sweetser asserted.
Sweetser claimed that Barack Obama has made the best use of such techniques, utilizing sites such as YouTube to amass what Sweetser called a “grassroots following” of young supporters. She also believes that neither John McCain nor Hillary Clinton have not made effective use of these tools.
“People want to see the candidate on a very personal level,” Sweetser said.