title: Personal Digital Branding as a Professional Asset in the Digital Age.
abstract: In recent years, society's rapid adoption of social media has made the boundary between professional and private life nearly indistinguishable. The literature provides guidance on how to demonstrate professionalism via social media platforms. Social media policies within health professions education tend to be legalistic in nature, serving primarily to highlight behaviors students should avoid. One missing element in social media literature is the concept of online invisibility. In this paper, we define personal digital branding, discuss the professional implications of choosing to abstain from social media use, and urge educators to recognize that the personal digital branding may be an emerging asset for young professionals in the twenty-first century.
authors.affiliation: University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Lexington, Kentucky.
authors.forename: Courtney A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Kleppinger
authors.affiliation: University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Lexington, Kentucky.
authors.forename: Jeff
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cain
mesh_terms: D004512:Education, Pharmacy / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D024382:Professional Role; D061108:Social Media / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D060756:Social Networking; D013339:Students, Pharmacy
keywords: Web 2.0; e-professionalism; networking; personal digital branding; social media