Pinterest is a visual app allowing users to explore images to gain images to gain inspiration on a variety of areas, such as lifestyle and interior design. The main premise of the app is to engage users in their creative side through exploring aesthetic images related to their interests, which can be saved as a ‘pin’ and/or added to their Pinterest ‘boards’. ‘Pinning’ content to ‘boards’ is an easy and effective way to manage visual information and images related to areas of interest. The Pinterest ‘boards’ can be organised and titled for use in guiding projects- for example, a board titled ‘bedroom ideas’ with images pinned to it if bedroom décor could inspire a new colour scheme. The app allows its users to personalise the type of images shown at the homepage when curating signing up by selecting areas of interest. This personalisation is crucial to the user’s engagement and interaction with the app.

Pocket is an app based on readable content - it offers a variety of articles on a range of topics by relevant authors and websites such as The Guardian that can be bookmarked or saved for future reading. The app allows users to manage articles for reading at a later date by compiling saved articles, building a ‘Pocket List’ and a ‘favourites’ feature, in which the user can favourite their preferred articles to be compiled in one section of the app. The ‘sort’ feature is also a useful tool in managing saved articles from ‘newest to oldest saved’ and ‘shortest to longest to read’.

Firstly, as part of the e-portfolio instructions, I had to create my own Padlet as a space to document my e-learning. The Padlet, available in app format and through browser, is a useful resource allowing the user to manage and organise their information into one digital space. Within the Padlet space users can customise the space with colours and titles, add in links and photos or videos with the aim to making it visually appealing. Users can publish information to their Padlet by typing in information into the textboxes available, which as a collaborative tool among peers can contribute to “easier connectivity in the community”. (Sapurta & Al Siddiq, 2020). Overall, I feel that the accessibility of the app for creating information guides and visual infographics is beneficial for improving the managing, sharing and publishing of information, all of which is crucial to developing my online engagement as a digital citizen. Summey (2013) notes that “managing information and communication in the rapidly changing and increasingly digital world” includes “finding and identifying resources” and the use of “social bookmarking” and “online document platforms”, as well as being able to “mashup and remix content from multiple online sources”. 

I then compared Pinterest and Pocket, for managing information with regard to social bookmarking and shared this information to my Padlet. With the likes of Pinterest, being able to curate the visual media being offered to you and manage that information into boards is valuable for gaining inspiration on topics. Using Pinterest allowed me to further my learning about visual media in a digital context, whereas Pocket made me more aware of the benefits of archiving readable content personalised to the user, that is marketed as a “one-stop destination” for “saving content so you can return to it later – on any device, at any time”. (Wyman et al., 2024). Engaging in digital literacy practises and considering my contribution to online spheres through social media such as Pinterest is key to developing positive digital citizenship. With regards to social media, considering the material we are viewing, sharing and creating online contributes to the “normative perspective” of digital citizenship – the “rights and responsibilities of being a digital citizen which includes acting in ways that are safe, legal and ethical”. (Gleason & Von Gillern, 2018).

Another skill I developed during this e-portfolio was mapping information with the online tool Datawrapper. I learned how to compile quantitative data from Eurostat on poverty rates across Europe into an interactive choropleth map. This exercise provided an interesting insight into how to manage quantitative data into a visual diagram for editing and use. The processes of adding data from a csv file to the choropleth map, visualising, annotating the map and organising the layout through the Datawrapper website tool were useful to developing my awareness of curating visual information online. The ability to design interactive charts or maps with the likes of Datawrapper allows both users of the online tool and their audiences to understand the information more clearly – “By presenting data in a geographical context, interactive maps can provide a more intuitive and relatable way for users to understand complex information and patterns”. (“The Benefits of Creating Interactive Maps for Improved Reach”, 2023).

My final task involved creating a thirty second video using Screencast-o-matic, an online video editing tool, and uploading the video to Youtube for further editing. My how–to video was titled ‘How to save images to your Pinterest profile’. I found the video editor software tool Screencast-o-matic to be user-friendly, after I set up an account it allowed me to screen record from my Pinterest profile and simultaneously use my voice recording over it. I was able to edit the video to fit specifications for Youtube. I then did some further editing and created a Youtube channel for the video to be uploaded to. Overall, the process was smooth and allowed me to engage my creative side in digital media production. I developed video editing skills such as captioning and modifying size specifications that will support future learning in critical thinking and presenting, managing and sharing information online. In an increasingly information driven society, creating videos to convey information is a useful skill, which the webpage “Media and Information Literacy”(2023) alludes to with regard to media literacy – “users must now become media literate with respect to the wealth of new technology available and the development of applications allowing entirely new ways of transmitting information”.  

In conclusion, the online tools I have used to date in this module have supported my online engagement and development as a digital citizen and have made me more aware of how I can share, manage, create and publish information.

Reference List – Academic Sources

-          Saputra, M., & Al Siddiq, I. H. (2020). Social media and digital citizenship: The urgency of digital literacy in the middle of a disrupted society Era. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (Online), 15(7), 156.

-          Summey, D. C. (2013). Developing digital literacies: A framework for professional learning. Corwin press.

-          Gleason, B., & von Gillern, S. (2018). Digital Citizenship with Social Media: Participatory Practices of Teaching and Learning in Secondary Education. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 21(1), 200–212. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26273880

 Reference List – Popular Sources

-          Wyman et al. (2024). What is Pocket. Mozilla Support. https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/what-is-pocket

-          The Benefits of Creating Interactive Maps for Improved Reach. (2023, November 6). https://aicontentfy.com/en/blog/benefits-of-creating-interactive-maps-for-improved-reach

-          Media and Information Literacy. (2024). https://www.coe.int/en/web/digital-citizenship-education/media-and-information-literacy

-Recommendation: Regular Canva privacy policy notifications as a standard procedure – helping users to be continually informed on how their information is being collected and how it is being used, as well as to continually emphasise Canva privacy guidelines in line with EU regulation so users can consider more the impact of using Canva’s services. This practise would also be relevant for application to other social media tools and platforms, contributing to emphasising user’s rights which includes knowing who has access to data collected and what purposes is it being used for.

- Information provided by the user to Canva when signing up for an account should be limited solely to what is needed to create the account and operate the platform, such as email addresses, and not information for any other purpose.  

- Currently, the types of information that can be provided by the user to Canva also includes the content of the posts you create, including text and photos you might upload as well as your interaction with the service in surveys or search queries or when you share another Canva user’s designs. (“Canva – Privacy Policy”, 2024). As Canva manages the content published, they owe the user the right to have their posts and photos to be removed from their account and from Canva data record.

- Canva collects information automatically based on your account and the details that are linked, for example device identifiers, as well as user activity data, for the purpose of analytics. Currently, Canva “may also use third party analytics tools that automatically collect information sent by your browser or mobile device, including the pages visited and other information that assists in improving the service”. (“Canva – Privacy Policy”, 2024). I think that any information automatically collected should be limited to what is needed for the functioning of the app.

- Canva also collects information from organisations and websites outside of its service, such as social media platforms like Facebook. (“Canva – Privacy Policy”, 2024). This information could include details about your employment that could be used to offer personalised functions within the app, such as Chatbots offering specific deals. (“Canva – Privacy Policy”, 2024). Knowing that Canva collects information from third parties is fundamental to informed use, however this privacy policy suggests Canva prohibit this practise, and forgo personalised services to remain more user-friendly in terms of privacy and data collection.

- Canva shares the information collected from the user to different shareholders such as service providers in Analytics. (“Canva – Privacy Policy”, 2024). Knowing that Canva shares its user’s information for the function of the platform but also for other reasons such as to evaluate the effectiveness of their advertisements is important for digital literacy in Canva’s users. A suggestion would be for Canva to operate voluntary tutorials within the app, to engage users in digital literacy for Canva specifically.  

- Canva keeps the data collected in servers. Canva should maintain being in line with the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework when it transfers or uses the data collected outside of the EU. (“Canva - Privacy Policy”, 2024).

Reference: Canva – Privacy Policy. (2024, February 15). Retrieved from https://www.canva.com/policies/privacy-policy/

- Limiting Canva’s types and uses of information collected directly from the user to what is solely needed for the functioning of the app benefits users in respect to knowing the purpose of data collection.

- As a regular user of Canva, I recognise the challenges that lie within privacy guidelines for a content and visual media producing app. 

Firstly, as part of e-portfolio B I created a LinkedIn account with the aim to furthering my professional digital presence on social media and connecting with potential employers and colleagues. I created a profile showcasing my relevant work experience and key skills such as critical thinking that I thought would help market myself on a professional platform. I became more aware of networking and the value of a positive digital presence on LinkedIn by connecting with friends, potential employers and other alumni of my course as well as finding useful network pages such as the UCD Careers Network. By creating a LinkedIn profile, I reflected on the importance of managing your digital self, particularly managing your professional image and the sharing of digitised information, and how it in turn “helps to clarify your goals, build a personal brand and leverage relationships” with others. (Dutta, 2010).

Next, I completed the e-tutorial titled ‘Foundational Social Media Analytics for Research’. This e-tutorial allowed me to understand the basics of social data, its forms, uses and how social media analytics tools such as Facebook Insights can conceptualise and track our behaviours on social media. It proved valuable in allowing me to become aware of how companies can track something as simple as a friend’s like on Facebook to build patterns for research on product analysis, for example. Social media analytics reporting tools are effective as they are “typically customizable”, allowing us to “view and pull the data and reports that matter most” so we can pinpoint areas for improvement in different aspects of our social media, such as business for example. (Baker, 2020). Reflecting on what I know now and how I can contribute to a positive and informed digital strategy for myself and better my digital presence, I aim to consider more the effect of my engagement with posts on social media and what I like and comment on.

The second e-tutorial I completed was titled ‘Data Visualisation for Novice Researchers’. This e-tutorial contributed to building my knowledge on how to present findings visually. I learned about the benefits to visualising information, Tufte’s principles of graphic excellence and the types of visualisation tools available to researchers. I think that being able to demonstrate your work visually through the likes of infographics and word clouds can make a substantial difference to how others interpret and respond to your work, while also confirming the credibility of one’s digital presence and demonstrating an equipping with visual media skills. In the future, I will consider my creating of data visualisations for demonstrating research, maintaining my personal digital strategy and for “curating a professional online presence that reflects expertise, passions and personality”. (McLaughlin, 2023).

I also completed an activity in reinventing a privacy policy for the social media tool Canva. As a Canva user, I was challenged to consider its privacy guidelines and how I could contribute to a more user-friendly privacy policy. I made suggestions such as limiting the amount of data collected directly from the user to what is only needed for the functioning of Canva, as well as introducing regular notifications on privacy and tutorials within the app to build digital literacy with regards to privacy for users. This activity was useful in allowing me to become more aware of how social media is regulated, our rights as users and the “importance of protecting personal data”. (Paramarta et al., 2018). Understanding the basics of privacy policies and how my social media data is collected, shared and used is important to building my personal digital strategy centred around being an informed and conscious citizen. (Klosowski, 2023).

Finally, I created an infographic on the topic of ‘My DigiLife – Personal Digital Strategy for my online presence’. This activity encouraged me to engage my creativity and critical thinking skills to developing a piece of visual media that would demonstrate how I plan to command my online presence. (Jaleniauskiene & Kasperiuniene, 2021). I thought about how I could develop my digital strategy that would help me to consider how to be more conscious online, which included managing my engagement with posts and comments, maintaining authenticity and taking steps to understand the privacy policies I agree to when using online platforms.

In conclusion, the activities I have completed as part of e-portfolio B have contributed to building my knowledge of the power of a positive digital presence and has allowed me to develop a personal digital strategy that supports this.  

Reference List – Academic Sources

- Dutta S. (2010). What's your personal social media strategy?. Harvard business review, 88(11), 127–151.

- Paramarta, V., Jihad, M., Dharma, A., Hapsari, I. C., Sandhyaduhita, P. I., & Hidayanto, A. N. (2018, October). Impact of user awareness, trust, and privacy concerns on sharing personal information on social media: Facebook, twitter, and instagram. In 2018 International Conference on Advanced Computer Science and Information Systems (ICACSIS) (pp. 271-276). IEEE.

- Jaleniauskiene, E., & Kasperiuniene, J. (2021, September). Visual literacy development through infographics. In European Conference on Information Literacy (pp. 189-200). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Reference List – Popular Sources

- Baker, K. (2020, March). Social Media Analytics: The Ultimate Guide. Hubspot. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/social-media-analytics

- McLaughlin, J. (2023, September 10). How to Create a Powerful Digital Personal Brand. Brandcredential. https://www.brandcredential.com/post/how-to-create-a-powerful-digital-personal-brand  

- Klosowski, T. (2023, April 14). ‘Here’s What You’re Actually Agreeing To When You Accept A Privacy Policy’. Wirecutter. https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/what-are-privacy-policies/