LIS 768 01: Reflecting on My Social Media Break

                                                              Introduction

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    Hello, Readers! For this final blog post, after spending the past several weeks exploring different trends and research in social media and emerging technology, I wanted to share with you, Readers, a small experiment I conducted over the past couple of days. For the past 48 hours, throughout the entirety of April 26th-27^th, I took… a sabbatical from all my personal social media accounts and apps! Gasp! Cue the shock and awe from the audience! In seriousness, I wanted to write about my sabbatical, then to share with you my thoughts and feelings about the experience, as I felt it was a fitting final post to my blog after spending the past few months discussing the impact, both positive and negative, of modern technology and the internet in society, influencing everyday lives. I wanted take this time over the past two days to reflect more deeply on how social media personally impacts my life, my relationship to it and how it felt to not use it recreationally for a couple of days, outside of necessary internet connection and email for completing my schoolwork. I selected this personal challenge as it made me stop and think about how much social media people must use each day for either entertainment, communications or work tasks without even realizing how much time they spend on it, myself included.

                                                     My Thoughts

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    Ordinarily, when not in class, I, like many, many people I assume, enjoy posting and scrolling endlessly through feeds through a variety of social media platforms for recreational fun each day in my downtime when not needing to complete personal responsibilities or household tasks I enjoy using sites such as Pinterest for moodboards, browsing their collections of art and fashion, looking at Instagram for neat photography projects and updates from creators I follow, and I love to lurk on Tumblr, Bluesky and Reddit for fandoms of my favorite shows, movies and books. I enjoy YouTube for cute puppy and kitten videos, while occasionally looking over at TikTok for fun comedy skits and animated videos. I also still use Facebook for keeping in touch with my family and friends; with it being the very first social media site I joined back in junior high with my friends, I still have some nostalgia for it, despite the cringe from looking at my old posts from years past. I like to think of myself as not having an addiction to social media, as I feel as though I have a balance of using the internet for both work and recreational purposes. However, when looking back at the different sites and apps I use everyday whenever I need a break from my studies or just want to decompose after a long day, it’s undeniable I do use a lot of sites.

                                                         Conclusion

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    When I took my small sabbatical for two days, I have to admit, it was more difficult than I had anticipated. While I have been busy with my coursework for finals, out of habit, when on a break, I would reach for my phone or have to stop myself from clicking on social media tabs on my computer, it’s almost like instinct or a knee-jerk reaction to turn on social media platforms when relaxing in my personal life. It’s honestly surprising to stop and really reflect on how often I just browse and scroll through social media so often without considering it. By the second day, it was easier though, to go for my social media accounts when I was looking for entertainment, spending time with my family, playing with my dog, doing household chores and just doing non-social media activities helped with the social media sabbatical. While I have gone back to using social media again, I think this was a good experience for me, as I think reminds me to take breaks now and again from social media for my well-being. Would I recommend other people, such as you, Readers, take your own social media sabbatical for a day or two> I would. I think its good for everyone to just unplug once in a while, either to go outside or just find another, non-internet activity and hobby to do in one’s spare time. I think we, as a society, spend so much time with electronics, the internet and social media, we forget at times how beneficial it can be to just step back and take breaks for our mental health and well-being as individuals. Ideally, a balance with screen-time should be strived towards, even if it seems difficult at times.

LIS 768 01: The Value of Media Literacy

                                                        Introduction

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    Hello, Readers! Have you ever stopped to think about how much media that we, as individuals, observe and absorb in our everyday lives? Have you considered the impact of utilizing media literacy skills in our engagement with entertainment and information sharing habits in society, whether as students, workers or patrons? Former professor of English at the University of Toronto, Marshall McLuhan, is known for coining the phrase “the medium is the message,” meaning that the technology in which we receive a message is just as important to influencing our opinions and perspective as the message itself. In our modern digital era, we are able to have a wide variety of information, entertainment and communications delivered to us on our devices almost within minutes, if not seconds of searching our inquiries online or texting our messages to friends on phones. With each passing year, technology continues to advance with new upgrades, the mediums in which we watch, interface and browse media broadens with each tech advancement.  From newspapers and billboard advertisements, to radio broadcasts to television and film to  the internet and social media, there are numerous methods of obtaining entertainment and information in the modern day, and while it is fortunate to live in a time with high-speed connections and instant results, the quick exchange of information and messages that can spread like wildfire within seconds,  makes it all the more valuable to develop media literacy skills in the 21^st century for younger generations. Whether or not we actively choose to engage with different forms of media, we will still observe and absorb the messaging in the media which is found throughout our society. Even if we only passively interact with modern media, modern entertainment, advertisements and their messaging still have significant influence on individuals, such as influencing our opinions and actions towards other people or groups of people different from ourselves, affecting our self-images, our biases, and can lead to the harmful spread of misinformation when media literacy skills are not developed and practiced by members of society.

                             The Five Competencies of Renee Hobbs

    Earlier this week, I studied the work of media literacy expert and advocate Renee Hobbs, who stated that there are five competencies that all students should know regarding media literacy:

1. Access: The first step, in which students need to be able to effectively locate and identify relevant information to the task in which they are engaged.

2. Analyze: That students need to be able to examine the messages and information they receive from digital or other forms of media, reflecting that students need to be consumers and conveyors of digital and media messaging.

3. Create: Students need to not only consume media but also be content creators themselves.

4. Reflect: Students need to reflect on the messaging of digital and media they share with others, reflecting on the impact their created or exchanged content has on the lives of other people.

5. Act: Students need to “act,” connect to the world around themselves and collaborate with others., learning to develop integrity and accountability for themselves, their actions and the media they create and/0r share with other people.

    Whereas each step of Hobbs’ five competencies is valuable for forming media literacy skills as a developing student, I feel the steps of “access” and “reflect” are the two must valuable of the five competencies; as its vital for youth to have access to credible, valid sources of information that should not be denied to them and their education, while its just as important to pause and reflect upon the potential impact of how we use modern technology, the influence of our words or actions through said technology from the perspective of students who are vital to learning proper media literacy for the future. I feel that these particular steps of Hobbs’s five competencies connect back to the words and philosophy of McLuhan's "The Medium is the Message," as they reflect McLuhan’s belief that the technological devices from which news and entertainment are received by individuals, the ability to access and reflect upon their impact, are key components to developing media literacy and how individuals perceive and utilize information in the modern age.

                                                   My Thoughts

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    I believe that developing skills in media literacy is incredibly important for youth, especially in our modern-day world where factually incorrect articles, AI generated results and algorithms are just a click of the mouse or tap of the screen away from easily misleading students and patrons to the wrong sources in their search of valid, trusted resources and information sources. While it is important for children and teens to be educated about media literacy, it is a skill that people of all ages can benefit from in their daily lives as they analyze the media and advertising messages that they take in each day. As modern society continues to create different platforms for entertainment, communication and learning on electronic devices, with information and messages spreading far quicker and further than in past generations, it becomes increasingly vital for people across age groups to develop media literacy. The development of media literacy, especially for today’s youth, is significantly valuable as skillsets in the 21^st century and its seemingly endless stream of media and advertisements from various angles as media literacy encourages individuals to raise their self-awareness of the media they consume, to differentiate between true news and what is fake or clickbait titles, further develop their critical-thinking skills as well develop their empathyfor other people, to deepen our understanding of media’s messaging, how our own biases are formed and to practice reducing them, recognizing how our words can impact others and the world around ourselves on an individual level or at a larger scale.

 

LIS 768 01: Learning About CIPA and COPPA

                                                                  Introduction

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    Hello, Readers! As someone working to become a public librarian, I strive to learn what I can to become a responsible librarian leader someday, such as creating a positive, welcoming and safe environment within the walls of the library institution for all potential patrons to explore. This includes keeping myself up to date on modern library policies and federal laws which affect patrons across different age groups, such as teenagers and young children. This week I wanted to share with you what I’ve been learning about federal laws regarding the privacy and protection of children in regard to internet usage and online data, as well as share with you my reflections on the laws and my thoughts on how well I personally feel the laws protect youth in these modern times where technology always seems to be upgrading adapting into new shapes and forms every day.

                                        What are CIPA and COPPA?

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    The two federal laws I will discuss with you today, Readers, known as the Children’s Internet Protection Act, otherwise known as CIPA, and the Children’s Online PrivacyProtection Act, otherwise known as COPPA. As home computers with internet connection became more commonplace and the digital era rose in the dawn of the 21^st century, CIPA was enacted by Congress in the year 2000 for the purpose of protecting children from having access to obscene or potentially harmful online content. Updated with modern times in 2011 by the FCC, the CIPA requires schools and libraries who receive discounts for internet access and connection through the E-rate program to meet certain standards for the protection of the institutions’ respective students and young patrons; such as public institutions to have protective systems in place that black or otherwise flitter out age-inappropriate material and harmful content on computers accessible by children, as well as requiring educators to have internet safety policies that included technological protection, such monitoring children’s online activity, and to educate their young students about the safety rules, discuss what is appropriate online behavior and educate children about the dangers of talking to strangers in online chat spaces. Whereas COPPA is a law passed in the year 1998, with the purpose of protecting young children under the age of thirteen from online dangers and to protect the privacy of Children’s personal information. The passing of COPPA, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, gave greater control of children’s personal information that could be potentially used or stolen online back to the children’s parents and guardians. COPPA required websites and apps marketed towards child audiences, or general ages websites which could potentially collect personal data from child users, to provide clear privacy policies and terms of service to the website’s userbase, as well as requiring websites to acquire consent from the parents of children in valid, signed parental forms in order to collect data or use personal information belonging to younger web users under the age of thirteen-years-old. These regulations from the two respective laws were created with the intent of keeping children safe from online dangers, keeping personal data of youth from being misused, and to create protective systems in place so that children could be shielded from harmful content online as time passed and the internet became more and more integrated into the daily lives of everyone, including the nation’s youth.

                                                 My Thoughts

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    Ultimately, after reflecting over the regulations of both federal laws, I feel that CIPA and COPPA’s guidelines are both needed and each create significant good in modern society in order to help ensure the safety, support and education of children about online etiquette and learning how to avoid dangerous or otherwise age-inappropriate content. However, as time moves forward, technology continues to advance and be further integrated into different corners of society, and thus, young children will continue to engage with technology at home, school and in public spaces, it will be increasingly difficult for CIPA and COPPA to protect children from everything that’s online. I feel there are ways in which the laws can continued to be revised and updated to further protect children, such as greater measurements to protecting the data of children at ages thirteen and above by COPPA for example, and I feel that for the children in the world who want to sneak their way past security measures to play age-inappropriate games, enter chat rooms or watch older-rated movies, they will find a way to lie their ways across lines. I think no matter what the laws and regulations in place, there will always be young individuals who lie about their age and sneak to play or watch mature material behind their parents’ back. While many young individuals may follow the rules their parents and educators explain to them about internet safety, it is difficult for the law to account for the youth who will simply choose to lie when entering birthdates into streaming services and entering adult spaces online, despite the barriers put in place to keep them out. In spite the difficulties of protecting all people under the law, I think the laws of CIPA and COPPA are still very important, as the laws provide measurements and guidelines to parents who want to keep their children safe from online harm. I feel that at the end of the day, protecting children is a collaborative effort by parents, educators and the laws of the government to ensure the safety and well-being of children across the nation.

 

LIS 768 01: Reflecting on Digital Tattoos and Data Analysis

 

                                              Introduction

A Photo of Me! Image Source: Personal Photos of Lizzy Prain.

    Hello, Readers! Have you ever looked back at old posts you made out of a sense of nostalgia for old memories, or maybe “What was I thinking?” Every day, many of us use the internet in some shape or form, with more and more household tasks, socialization and games taking place more often online than in past generations, having a presence online to some degree can likely feel second nature to many individuals who require electronic devices and an internet connection in their daily lives. It may even be difficult to remember a time when our lives weren’t updated and posted online. Because of the ubiquity of the internet in many of our individual lives, it can be easy not give a second thought to our presence online, what we search, and what we post; but even if we simply just forget what we put on the internet, everything that was posted about ourselves can still traced back to us in one way or another, even years down the line, especially if the information we share is personal data such as names, schools or connections to hometowns and family members. When we leave information and evidence of our presence on online spaces, this is what is known as having a digital tattoo, otherwise known as leaving digital footprints.

                                     What are Digital Tattoos?

    In the great big spiderweb that is the modern internet, digital tattoos are the threads of silk with which we weave, leaving our interconnecting history, data and presence as individuals through what we post about ourselves. Although commonly called “footprints,” digital tattoos are much more like ink tattoos marked on one’s body, they created as an expression of individual beliefs, love, passions, and self-identity, and are incredibly difficult to removed, if not outright permanent for everyone to see for the rest of time. Just as ink tattoos in real life that are difficult to remove, digital tattoos are elements of what we post that stay online after we move on from a site or social media platform. The traces of our personal data and identity over the years, across different sites and online apps become connectable pieces which form a collection of information about ourselves as individuals through our activities and interactions in online spaces. 

                                              My Data Analysis

A Photo of My Puppy-Dog! Image Source: Personal Photos of Lizzy Prain 

    It's important to always be mindful of what personal information we share when we post online, as we may never know what others may do with our data without our consent nor can we be sure that something is completely wiped off the internet if we should choose to delete a post at a later date. However, learning more about digital tattoos and looking back on old posts don’t have to be a negative experience; instead, data analysis of our social media platforms can be an opportunity to be self-reflective and examine more deeply how we as individuals grow and change over the years when reviewing older posts and updates, taking time to reflect on how we change as people each day without even realizing it, as well as see evidence of how we express ourselves and show traits of our personalities or preferences thought our posting habits on different platforms.

    When I look back upon and reflect over the last twenty-five posts I made on my personal Facebook, what first comes to mind is that I enjoy sharing and creating posts that make me happy or share thoughts or memes with my friends and family that I think they’ll find fun as well. Reflecting over my last post, I share primarily posts about my pet dog who I love with my whole heart, share memes about my favorite movies and shows or inside jokes with my friends, or share photography, artwork and cute puppy videos I enjoy and what to share with the people in my personal life. Overall, I realized that based on the last several weeks I posted on social media sites, such as on Facebook for example, I find that I enjoy cultivating a positive space for myself and my friends online, where I can create or share cute, fun and happy posts. While I have other platforms such as Pinterest for art and fashion moodboards, and that I am a lurker on sites such as Tumblr, Bluesky and Reddit for my favorite fandoms, I felt like sharing my impression of my Facebook page, as it is the social media account that I’ve had the longest, having created it back in junior high. It’s interesting (and a bit cringy) to look back at the post I first made on Facebook as a shy teenager. They were mostly experimental posts trying to figure out the site, wanting to play farming games and giving the gift of digital sheep to friends, or minor updates about my day, such as about school. When looking at my more recent posts, I’m a little more bolder now, I feel my updates reflect my interests and humor developing and maturing as I entered adulthood into the present day. I still post silly, fun and cute things online, but now with slightly more sophistication! I will occasionally share about my school or work experiences, and chime in on serious topics in society with my friends, but overall, I notice that I most often like to share and happy moments from my life online. I suppose I feel because the world has enough negatively as it is, I like to spread positively in my personal corner of the internet with the people I care about through my posts.  

                                                Conclusion

"It doesn't matter to you if you get heads or tails, you just don't like to flip all the time." Image source.

    As the sands of time continue to pass, and the internet remains a ubiquitous resource in our society, digital tattoos will remain as permanent reminders and snapshots of our lives. Much like a difficult-to-remove ink tattoo on skin, digital tattoos reflect choices and information about ourselves that cannot be easily erased. It is important to be mindful when deciding what personal information to share online, to be vulnerable and reveal parts of ourselves to a vast sea of strangers online can come with more risks and long-term consequences if not careful, more dangerous than it may seem in the modern landscape of social media where it seems everyone shares every moment, fact and secret of their daily lives through post updates or livestreaming. However, while being safe and responsible with sharing personal data is always important, digital tattoos can also be a source of nostalgia, as it may lead you back to old memories across the web. You may discover how much you’ve changed over the years or find old accomplishments and hobbies that may have been forgotten long ago. The web itself is not an entirely positive or negative tool, it depends on how we use it and the experience we cultivate for ourselves. Just like with choosing a new ink tattoo, when it comes to digital tattoos when we post online, it’s valuable to take a second and think whether or not we would be comfortable with the information we post today remaining on the internet ten or twenty years from now.

LIS 768 01: Understanding Acceptable Use Policies

                                                                          Introduction

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    Hello, Readers! Have you ever stopped to think about how much we rely on technology and electronic devices in our modern world? I imagine many of us use email, text messaging systems, Google, YouTube and TikTok throughout each day on our phones, tablets or personal computers without really giving them a second thought. In the digital age, we have household chores, shopping, work responsibilities, and educational modules in addition to recreational fun all stored on our devices, that it would be easy to feel as though society itself could not or would not function as it does without our electronic resources nearby. Because technology plays such an integral role in many of our lives and different corners of the world, important policies, such as the Acceptable Use Policy, otherwise known as AUP, exists to ensure that technology in institutions of society are used by workers, educators or students with responsibility, care and respect for the tech resources shared by members of a community. While it may seem like terms that don’t have significant importance at a glance, the AUP is a guideline which help not only protect the best interests of societal institutions, such as a library or school, but policy guidelines which are put into place to protect patrons and students who use electronic resources. A school’s AUP guidelines are intended to keep students safe online, as recognizing the importance of students having access to digital resources, knowledge and services through the school’s systems in an engaging learning environment, ideally with the strive to balance protecting students from harmful content while acknowledging students’ own agency and responsibility when using school resources independently.

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                         Reflecting on my University's APU Policy

    As a student, I rely on the digital resources and services made available through my university, such as the libraries’ computer systems, virtual student lounges, forums, emails and class messaging systems. The AUP of my university is in place to ensure my security safety as a student enrolled in the institution, as well as to ensure that I and other students like me are using the resources provided by the university for their intended purposes. Reflecting over my school’s AUP policy, there is emphasis in the wording of the university’s AUP section of school policies on providing both the student body and the facility members with access to educational materials and computing resources, with the institution highlighting respect to students’ independence, accountability as adults and right to privacy when using the university’s electronic resources, stating that “This policy is intended to encourage, rather than discourage, the use of computing resources at Dominican University by providing a framework for acceptable use” (Dominican University, 2025). There is a list of offenses that qualify as violations of the policy by students’ misuse of the computing resources provided by the school, such as using tech to cause harm to others, breaking laws of the nation or otherwise illegal activity that violates school codes, committing fraudulent or malicious actions, and abusing data collection or the communication systems of the school, amongst the examples. Whereas there are sections of the policy dedicated to what students are not allowed to do with the available resources of the university, the overall tone and wording of the policy itself leans towards encouragement of students’ educational growth and trust in the autonomy of the students to use the technology of the school with responsibility, maturity and respect for the intended purpose of the resources. Within the summary of what defines acceptable use of computing resources and services by the university’s terms, the policy page states that “Computing resources at Dominican University are provided for legitimate educational and business purposes. Limited personal use of computing resources by students, staff, and faculty is permissible if it does not violate this policy or other University policies, or otherwise interfere with the legitimate education and business purposes of Dominican University” (Dominican University, 2025). Through both APU guidelines and individual research and responsibility, electronic users can remain prepared, educated, safe and secure when using the digital resources of their community’s digital resources.

                                                    Conclusion

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    When reflecting upon the purposes of an AUP in our schools or places of work, rather than be dismissive of its value, its important to be mindful of the policy’s purpose in public institutions, keeping students, their educators, patrons and staff workers digitally protected when engaging with electronic resources or services belonging within a given university. Reviewing AUP guidelines as a student is an opportunity to reflect on individual responsibility, not only in meeting the expectations of one’s school, library or work environment when using their tech, but it is an opportunity to be reflective on steps to keep ourselves safe when online from security threats or protecting ourselves by learning the signs of potential phishing scams. It is important for individuals living in the digital era, such as you Readers, whether you are employed on staff in a library, an educator, or a student, to continue to practice mindfulness and research methods of staying secure from threats online, whether it is keeping your devices’ web protection up to date, or keeping your Wi-Fi protected when away from home, and to stay wary and vigilant of suspicious emails from unknown or otherwise malicious links in your messages.

LIS 768 01: Privacy in the Digital Age

                                         Introduction

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    Hello, Readers! Have you ever thought how much we, as society, share with each online, maybe without even realizing how much information or personal data we share with only a few clicks of a button? In our modern digital era, TVs, radios, computers, tablets and phones are nearly everywhere in our society. In this day and age, we utilize technology in various angles of everyday life, whether it is using electronic devices and internet connection for education, entertainment, business, household chores, banking, grocery shopping or communicating with loved ones online. Both electronics and the internet have become so integrated into modern society, that we often times use them without really consciously realizing it. Last week on this blog, I discussed personality quizzes and how we as internet users can use them to reflect upon ourselves, our interests and our preferences based on our answers to the questionaries. This has led me to think more deeply this week about the topic of online privacy in the present day, where it can seem that more and more each day, technology is so commonplace, so easily ingrained in our lives, that digital privacy can feel as though as though it the product of an already bygone era. How do we recognize when our modern devices are violating our privacy by taking our data when we use in a variety of ways nearly every minute of the day? How are we meant to protect our data and private lives from something that become so quickly over the past few decades in society as the modern internet and electronic devices? Although protecting our personal data and online privacy in an increasingly digitalized world may seem like a daunting task, the rise in internet usage and commonalty of electronic devices in various corners of life is the very reasons we need greater discussions on the importance of maintaining privacy in modern times.

                         Online Dangers and Ways to Stay Safe

    Over this past week, I reflected upon three different resources which discussed the ways in which our online data or personal information can be taken, sold and used in ways in which we wouldn’t suspect of being harmful or knowingly consented to its usage by third-parties, along with steps that can be taken by internet users to protect their data from serious issues such as fraud, identity thief and harassment. A notable issue with digital data collection by tech companies and breaches of costumer privacy is that it can take forms in seemingly harmless everyday online activities, games or trusted electronic devices that are kept in homes across society. One such example of how personal data information can be stolen is discussed within the first article I share by Lindsey Murray, a journalist from Good Housekeeping, the author discusses how personality quizzes from popular social media sites such as Facebook, despite appearing like innocent fun on the surface, can steal data from users and be a source of identity thief. The article discusses further how entering true, personal information can have negative consequences, such as the sharing of birthdays, locations or personal family photos make identifying a person much easier for third-parties such as targeted marketing or more dangerous individuals online. As Murray states within her article, “above all, it's important to remember that everything you post on social media is public, no matter how secure your settings are” (Murray, 2018).

    Another source of danger in user privacy and personal data being stolen without knowledge of consent can be in popular digital assistant electronics such as Amazon’s Alexa ai, a modern device commonly found in homes across the nation. Within my second chosen resource, an CNN Business article by Professor Kara Alaimo, in which she discusses that while Alexa devices are popular for their convivence and entertainment for consumers, she also highlights their potential as a data collecting tool for personalized marketing at best and manipulation of consumers at worst by the Amazon company. Within the article, the author discusses the implications of the reveal that Amazon has its employees listen-in to conversations from their costumers who own an Alexa from a random, small set of users; it is claimed that the company-approved eavesdropping is done for the purpose of improving the robot’s ai software, but Alaimo highlights the creepy ways that the information collected by Amazon from its costumer base, noting in her writing “While it can sometimes be helpful to get personalized product recommendations for items Amazon’s algorithm realizes might be useful to us, users might also be manipulated into buying products they otherwise wouldn’t have if the company pinpoints and tries to take advantage of their weaknesses.

    There’s also nothing to stop Amazon from selling our information to third parties — like political candidates — who could try to target and appeal to us” (Alaimo, 2019). It can be scary not knowing what sites or devices may sell and use your personal information, especially if they are trusted. What can be done for users to protect their information when collecting data seems to be a common practice across the internet? The third and final resource I want to share with you, Readers, is an article from the Geeks for Geeks educational organization, offering helpful tips on protecting your online data in the modern day and age. The article offers advice such as suggesting users utilize encrypted messaging apps, browse the internet in Firefox or Chrome’s Anonymous Modes, and offering guides to enforcing better and stronger security for internet browsers through extensions. The article hosts a number of tips, resources and links to improving online privacy and digital security for anyone unsure of what proper steps to take with their information’s protection.

                                               Conclusion

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    As someone working to become a public librarian, I want to be a professional who is able to not only provide visiting patrons with the resources, programming and services they need, but to also create a positive, welcoming environment within the library building itself, which includes ensuring that the patrons’ privacy is respected and that their personal data or information within the organization is not used or shared with outside third-parties without their clear consent. I want to be a librarian who creates a safe space for my patrons, and part of the responsivity in ensuring patron’s comfort and freedom to intellectual rights is by protecting the patrons’ right to personal data privacy, security and confidentiality while a guest of organization. Because of the numerous ways in which technology is so deeply integrated in our daily lives, it is easy to ignore how our personal data is used by tech companies, it could almost be viewed as a given fact that companies mine for our information to personalize and improve target marketing towards induvial consumers. How often have you talked about a product, a piece of media or a service with someone, and soon afterwards you see an ad for that same subject while surfing online? It can be a spooky déjà vu feeling, right? However, data mining and little or no privacy online can be a lot more serious and potentially more dangerous occurrence than seeing an ad for Shrek 5 on the internet five minutes after you were talking about going to see it with your friend. A breach of privacy and the sharing information to third-parties can long-term consequences for individual online, that’s why it is incredibly important to not only raise self-awareness of potential dangers when sharing our personal information on social media, but to research security protections and stay informed on methods of keeping valuable personal Information private. In our modern digital world where information is shared and spread like wildfire, it is important to strive for the right balance in trust and fun with responsibility and security.

LIS 768 01: PLNs and Personality Quizzes

                                             

                                                   Introduction 

    Hi Readers! I’m sure many of us have taken personality quizzes at one point or another in our live, maybe it was back in high school to determine what career fields you gravitated towards, or maybe it was just for fun on Buzzfeed to figure out what Disney Princess you were most like or what type of elemental bender you would be in the world of Avatar. After school, throughout our lives, the psychology of personality quizzes can still tell us a lot about ourselves, causing us to reflect upon our answers, our interests and help give us insight into our where personality types lean, our individual choices or personal preferences. This week, I wanted to share with you, Readers, the results of three personality type quizzes I took part in, known as 16 Personalities, Five-Factor Test and Personality Type Indicator, as well as share with you my reflections on the results of my quiz answers. These quizzes are not the ones you find on Buzzfeed or other recreational sites, but were taken for the purpose of showing where my strengths and weaknesses were, as well as highlighting what areas I could expand upon in relation to building my Personal Learning Network, or PLN, for short. An PLN helps individuals find resources as well as develop a network of connections within their chosen professional field; personality quizzes as three I took provide not only a diversity in data findings to draw from in learning more about how I am as a potential worker, my hobbies or in my education, but the quizzes can also help individuals such as myself with self-discovery, such as what positive and negative traits I have as a person, and what I can contribute to my profession with these personality traits.

 

                                   The 16 Personalities Quiz

Image Source: 16 Personalities Site.   

    Within each quiz I gave my best, honest answer to each question listed. The first quiz I took was 16 Personalities test, answering questions on a scale from “agree” to disagree,” and according to its results, I have an INFJ-T personality type, known as an Advocate. Within its findings, it says that I possess a combination of idealism and insight, characterized by complex emotions, vivid imagination, and a deep well of empathy that allows me to connect with others on a profound level, with a desire to make a positive impact the world (16 Personalities, 2025). The results further elaborate that my strengths lie in creative-thinking and innovative problem solving, with the ability to read through the lines which would be beneficial in a workplace environment. Whereas, in accordance to the quiz results, my weaknesses lie in idealism, perfectionism tendencies, sensitivity and conflict avoidance. The results state that my idealistic leaning would cause me to struggle with mundane tasks or office politics, while also stating that based on my personality type, I would thrive in professional environments which allow opportunities for creativity, personal grow and ability to make a positive impact on other people through my work. Looking over these answers from the quiz, I feel they genuinely reflect traits that I noticed about myself in my daily life; I lean towards empathy and wanting to make the environment around myself a positive space, while confrontation is something I’ve always had a struggle with as an individual. Overall, I find the results to a be fair assessment of both my strengths and weaknesses as a person, as well as how those traits translate into a work environment.  

 

                                      The Five-Factor Test

Image Source: Five-Factor Test Site.

    For the second personality quiz, I took what is known as the Five-Factor Test, which as its name implies, accounts for five key traits, related to Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism in each person. Based upon my honest responses to the questions, the test concluded that I scored 70% in extraversion, 84% in openness to experience, 85% in conscientiousness, while also 82% in agreeableness and 51% in neuroticism as an individual. According to the Five-Factors’ site. While I’m unsure of the 70& in extraversion, as I consider myself a rather introverted personality type, I find the test’s findings on my percentage of agreeableness and conscientiousness to be fairly accurate to my sense of self-identity. I was pleasantly surprised by highly I scored in openness to experience, which stated “Openness to Experience describes a dimension of personality that distinguishes imaginative, creative people from down-to-earth, conventional people. Open people are intellectually curious, appreciative and sensitive to beauty” (Psychologist World, 2025). These results align with the test answers I received from the previous 16 Personalities quiz, which described me, based on my responses, as a creative-thinking person who valued empathy and desired to be friendly and positive in social situations.

 

                         The Personality Type Indicator Test 

Image Source: Personality Type Indicator Site. 

    For the third and final personality quiz I took, I answered questions from the Personality Type Indicator test, which had interesting results. According to its findings, based upon the Myers-Briggs Personality Types, I am an ISFP type in terms of my personality, known as a Harmonizer in regards to different category titles. I found this to be a fascinating outcome because I consider myself to be a rather shy person, with the quiz listing aspects of my ISFP personality type as “you are warm, kind-hearted and generous. It may be difficult for you to open up at first, but once you do, others are drawn to your charm” and that I am “incredibly observant and very aware of others’ feelings” (My Personality Test, 2025). I was surprised by the quiz results stating that only 6% of the nation’s population make up this personality type, with the ISFP acronym standing for traits of Introverted, Observant, Feeling and Prospecting (My Personality Test, 2025). While I strive to be someone who is welcoming and kind to those around me, the answers also state as possible weaknesses about my personality type is that I may struggle with long-term-planning due to living in the moment, taking life day-by-day, which I suppose is a fair assessment of a university student! The results also state that due to my empathetic and reserved personality traits, as determined from my responses, in a work environment, “You may become reliant on others’ approval to validate your self-worth. Others may view you as overly sensitive and emotional” (My Personality Test, 2025). Thinking over the answers of this quiz, I feel that it reflects that I strive to be compassionate and earnest with other people in different areas of my life, whether in my personal relationships, in school or how I would apply these traits to my chosen career field of librarianship. I feel these results tell me that while kindness and empathy are strengths, in the workplace, I need to self-aware and not let my emotions overwhelm me nor should I let others take advantage of my kindness or openhearted tendencies.

 

                                                Conclusion

Embrace your inner-glam-rocker. Image Source.

    After completing the three personality quizzes, I believe that my kindness, earnestness and creativity are amongst my strengths as an individual, whereas my weaknesses lie in having difficulty with confrontation, shyness and I have perfectionist tendencies. In regards to building my PLN, these personality quizzes can help give opportunities to reflect upon my sense of self, potentially highlight my areas of strength in which I thrive and what weak areas I can always improve upon for the future, helping to grow as a person and being resource for building resources or networking and creating work connections in my career path. Although we should not take personality quizzes, whether we take them for recreation or for study, as being set in stone about ourselves and what we are capable of accomplishing in our personal or professional lives. People are complex, we have positive traits and flaws, that’s what makes us human-beings! Personality quizzes, however, can be an opportunity for self-reflection, not only for to look for weaknesses we can learn from and build upon, but can also discover positive traits about ourselves and what we can accomplish that we may not even be fully aware of before taking part in one of the personality quizzes. Whereas the quizzes highlight personality traits that I can work on, I feel it also underlines positive traits that will be beneficial in a work environment, such as in a public library for my future career; I am someone who strives to be positive, to create a welcoming environment for the people around me, to be kind and considerate towards the feelings of others, and I enjoy expressing myself through creativity, whether in creative-thinking for projects I work on or for problem-solving on a task. Readers, why not try exploring personalities too? You never know what you may discover about yourself!