EDU 776 Blog post #3: Mapping My Digital Space

 What are Digital Spaces?

This weekend, I learned about digital spaces and the concept of Visitors and Residents from the blog of David White .  I had never heard of those terms before, so it was interesting to explore, and simple to understand.  We all engage on the internet in different ways and utilize sites and apps uniquely.  In his blog, White talks about how being a Visitor is similar to getting a tool from a garden shed.  You go there to get the tool, use it, and then you’re done.  Examples of  that online would be Googling something, checking your mobile banking app, ordering a Lyft, etc.  Residents spend time on the internet really engaging with content, and they use it to connect.  Examples of this would be creating a shared unit via Google Docs with a co-teacher, text messaging with friends, blogging, etc.  We all have different situations that we are a Visitor or Resident in, and although there’s some ebb and flow, most people are probably able to find some pretty interesting patterns when they create a digital map that explores their use as both a Resident and Visitor, personally and professionally.  So what does mine look like?  Check it out below!

Image Source : all icons found on Google Images, map created by me via Google Drawings

What I Noticed from Mapping My Digital Spaces

I had a lot of fun doing this, and would encourage anyone who hasn’t heard of it or done it before to give it a try!  It certainly makes for some interesting self reflection.  When creating my digital space, I changed the sizes of icons to reflect the ones I use the most.  If there was overlap in the categories of how I use a website or app, I tried to show that too in my placement on the lines.  Something I noticed right away is that I feel like more of a “taker” than a “giver” in the online world.  Even on social media apps, which I use more than anything, I more often am just scrolling and checking out other’s content than I am sharing my own.  That was really interesting to think about: When you spend a lot of time on apps that are made for engagement, but you aren’t necessarily using them to engage, does that classify your use in them as more of a Visitor or a Resident?  As I mentioned earlier, though, of course there is going to be some ebb and flow.  Sometimes I go in rhythms where I do frequently share things on social media, and sometimes I’ll go days or weeks without posting something, but I’m still on it checking what other people are sharing.  Instagram is the place I spend the most time of all, which was also interesting to analyze, because I use the same account in multiple ways.  I definitely use it socially a lot, as a cross between a Visitor and Resident, but also somewhat professionally.  Although I never really contribute to it with information regarding education, I use Instagram to absorb tons of educational content, everything from many children’s lit book accounts I follow, to individual teacher accounts that share small classroom hacks and projects.  On Instagram, I follow a massive range of different account types.

Phases of Life on a Digital Map

It’s also interesting to think about how your digital map changes with phases in your life.  Right now, I’m expecting my first baby, so one of my highest “screen time” apps are pregnancy related.  A year ago, I would not have been on them at all, and likely won’t be a year in the future.  I’m also looking to buy our first home, so I spend a lot of time on Redfin as a Visitor, another thing that is directly related to my phase of life and not necessarily based on just my interests, or tools I use for work. 

There are a lot of interesting things I noticed from the process of creating my own digital map, and why I’d encourage others to do the same.  It’s insightful to see where your time spent in the digital world is going, and the ways that you contribute, or don’t contribute, while you’re there!

Image Source : giphy.com