Knowing Where we Stand

Digital Map Symbolism

No, this is not referring to Google Maps or Mapquest. It is not even referring to the TomTom, a handheld device that we could stick to the inside of our cars with Velcro. Rather, it is our internet portrait -- how we use it and when. A portrait itself needs time to be crafted, unlike the instantaneous selfie that we have grown so accustomed to in a world of instant gratification. Where do we stand, and what difference does it make whether it is for our personal or professional lives? Are we standing or are we paying a visit, as one does when leaving the airport on the way to the final destination?

When we have connecting flights, we have the choice (depending on time) to leave the airport and make the most of our time, or we can stay put as long as we have to so that we can just continue on our merry way. This works with road trips too, a rest area with a scenic viewpoint and stopping to admire the view and take some pictures, rather than grabbing something from the vending machine in pursuit of the destination alone, forgoing the joy in the journey.

Visitors and Residents, Residents and Visitors

Image Source: Nic Fair

Above is a table to help differentiate between a visitor and resident on the internet:

On the internet, we mirror such interactions. Do we visit a website to take what we need from it and leave? Do we linger, daring to make some sort of impact, and making the most of the time there? Lots of us have social media accounts without much interaction -- we see the posts, we may or may not click "like" or double tap it, and then maybe talk about it and show people the posts in real life, off the grid, despite the fact that this conversation would not happen had it not been for the grid and other residents.

The Map Itself

Image Source: author

David White shows us different meanings of visitors and residents, one of whom stops for a few minutes and the other who stays a while and makes an impact while interacting with others.

Of course, when prompted with the task of remembering the applications (apps) or websites that I use on a regular basis, I draw a blank. Only now, I am remembering my credit card and banking apps which I would place under "personal" and "resident" use since it tracks my transactions, even though I will not personally reply or share these for the world to see. Not everybody needs to know how much I spend on Amazon or the dollar store once in a blue moon. Some apps serve multiple purposes, like Google Maps. Sometimes I use it to see how long I will need to get to work, or I use it to measure the distance between a friend's place and mine. LinkedIn, with its professional purpose, has helped me look for new jobs as well as share my credentials when applying. Gmail straddles personal and professional given that the school district I work for uses Google. Though Pinterest is a great place for me to collect ideas for lessons or teaching tips, it is mainly for personal use. Those are small examples of all that a digital map can tell us about a person, the mark we can leave, and purely where (in cyberspace) we like to spend our time.

More than Meets the Eye

Even the influencers and other people who spend their entire lives on the internet can only tell us so much with their digital maps, since the internet can never tell the whole story. What matters is the stories that we want to tell and that we take into account the many ways in which they can be told -- the internet is fantastically powerful, and we must not undermine the maps and stories that got us to where we are today.