More Than Likes and Followers: Using Social Media to Develop Your Professional Identity-Slides

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The presentation "More Than Likes and Followers: Using Social Media to Develop Your Professional Identity" by Michelle Brooks, Brett Radler, Jennifer Readlynn, and Gian Toledanes explores how social media can be strategically utilized to shape and advance professional identity, especially in medicine.<br /><br />Central to their discussion is Robert Kegan’s framework of adult meaning-making, which includes four lenses: Instrumental, Socialized, Self-Authoring, and Self-Transforming. These lenses describe stages of professional identity development from focusing on personal rewards, through adopting group norms, to creating a personal value system, and eventually integrating multiple perspectives to manage complex challenges. The speakers illustrate how social media use aligns with these developmental stages in both individuals and organizations.<br /><br />Key learning objectives include applying Kegan's model to professional social media use, crafting engaging content for personal and organizational accounts, recognizing and mitigating pitfalls such as misinformation and negative interactions, building professional networks online, and leveraging social media for academic promotion.<br /><br />The session highlights social media’s role in undergraduate medical education for curating content, building reputation, and gaining voice. It also addresses challenges like polarizing content driven by social media algorithms and the spread of misinformation versus disinformation. Strategies for addressing misinformation emphasize emotional regulation and measured responses rather than reactive confrontation.<br /><br />Personal narratives, such as Jennifer Readlynn’s Twitter journey, demonstrate navigating professional growth alongside impostor syndrome and perfectionism using social media. Organizational branding on platforms evolves from basic information sharing to dynamic engagement with followers via visual abstracts, tweetorials, and interactive chats.<br /><br />Overall, the session advocates for thoughtful, reflective social media use aligned with professional identity development, balancing authentic self-expression with community norms, and using these tools to foster meaningful professional connections and academic advancement.

Keywords

Professional Identity Development

Social Media Strategy

Robert Kegan's Framework

Adult Meaning-Making

Medical Education

Misinformation Management

Networking Online

Academic Promotion

Personal Branding

Organizational Engagement