Strategies for Safely Sharing Personal Stories Online
Much of our lives are permeated by digital technologies. In this increasingly digital world, people tend to trust personal experiences and word of mouth more than other forms of information they come across online. We see this evident in how companies, organizations, and individuals approach digital marketing, promotion, advocacy, and more. In advertising alone, studies have found that an overwhelming number of people trust a recommendation from a friend or a personal experience related to a product more than other marketing techniques (see one study here). Personal experiences, or stories, are an impactful tool for a variety of purposes, and sharing them online allows for a greater reach and larger potential impact.
Being Aware of Digital Safety
Photo by Rodion Kutsaiev via Unsplash
Our current digital landscape continues to shift and change, and with it our methods for storytelling. Digital spaces are now the main place for organizations and individuals to share stories—on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, news websites, blogs, and more. They can reach more people across space and time, and they can help build community and public support for specific issues and causes. Because it may feel easier to share a story online than in front of a large audience, digital storytelling can feel like a low stakes thing to ask of someone. Just fill out this form with your experience or record a quick video and you too can share your story with others! This is not necessarily wrong, but it disregards the embodied nature of storytelling: Experiences happen in and are felt by the body and retelling an experience can cause a reliving of that memory. This may lead to distress and renewed trauma.
Additionally, while digital technologies offer expanded opportunities for sharing stories that can impact more people more easily, we still need to be cautious when inviting people to share their stories online. For a while now, those behind the scenes of social media platforms have voiced their concerns, refusing to use them and/or refusing to let their kids use them. There are myriads of posts about what to avoid sharing on social media (see one here). Data privacy and security issues abound, especially regarding social media platforms such as Instagram, where you might think you have control over your own content (You only kind of do—see Meta’s privacy policy). There is definitely a murkiness around best practices for digital safely when sharing personal stories on social media.
In the background of our online interactions, our user data is monitored, gathered, and stored, even if we delete information from our accounts or messaging platforms. This may not matter at all, until all of a sudden, it does. When an individual shares a story digitally that includes vulnerable information, that information may be collected, distributed, and used for purposes other than the original intent and the associated data could be kept long after being “deleted” by the original user. This surveillance of digital information, while largely invisible, should be considered when asking individuals to share stories in online spaces.
At Confianza Collective, we know that there is great power in sharing stories online, but there can also be great risk. It is essential for organizations to be intentional and thoughtful in how they handle the experiences of, and potential risks for, storytellers. Below are some tips we suggest for organizations who are engaging in crafting and strategically sharing stories of individuals.
Photo by Alex Rodriquez
Sharing Stories Safely
When utilizing storytelling as a method of engagement, your organization should try to stay up to date on digital safety and privacy concerns. If you are asking individuals to share personal and potentially vulnerable stories, you need to be prepared to protect and support them in the aftermath.
Prepare for negative engagement. What is your plan for potential trolling, harassment, or other harmful responses?
Center care for storytellers. Find out what feels safe and secure for them. In other words: What do they consent to share?
Educate yourself and those around you about data security, privacy issues on social media, and related topics (Here is one short article by the National Cybersecurity Alliance).
Stories are embodied experiences. Some may be light-hearted, funny, or positive. Others may be sad, distressing, or even traumatizing. Many times, they are a mix of these. An important part of digital safety is to be up front with individuals who are sharing their personal and possibly vulnerable information so that they know what they are consenting to, what risks come with sharing their stories digitally, and what kinds of details they want to share. Here are a few key actions to prioritize:
Reflect on your organization’s release form. Is it clear how and where stories will be used? What can storytellers do if they no longer want their story to be used by the organization?
Protect the identities of storytellers and the people referred to in their stories. If including quotes or descriptions, they could replace a name with the person’s role—patient, participant, family member, etc. They may feel more comfortable only using first names, or even creating pseudonyms.
Edit or cut sensitive information that could make storytellers targets for negative interaction. Whether a written text or a video, make sure you’re discussing ahead of time or reviewing who and what are referred to and in how much detail, like where they live or who they work for.
Photo by Marvin Meyer via Unsplash
You can only do so much to stay safe online. Any public space is open to anyone. But helping to protect storytellers and the people they include in their stories shows them that you care for their wellbeing. Along the way, individuals can learn to critically consider their own digital safety:
They can consider the personal risks of sharing identifying information—name, age, location, workplace, relations, images, personal social media accounts, etc. One risk is being doxxed (Read a short explanation here).
They can decide what parts of their story they might want to leave out for their own safety and wellbeing, or for the safety and wellbeing of others.
The more you know about digital safety, the better prepared you will be for protecting storytellers sharing their stories on social media for your organization.
Getting Started
As you begin documenting stories, it might be hard to know where to start or what to focus on or how to help storytellers. Encourage them to lean in—telling a story is not a linear process. Storytellers can get started by:
Know why they are writing, and who they are writing for.
Getting ideas out however works best for them - audio recording, outlined main points, stream of consciousness, conversation with someone, drawing, etc.
Sharing their story with someone they trust. Storytelling is collaborative, between a teller and a listener, and it can be helpful to learn what stands out to someone else.
There is not one right way to document a story. But it can feel intimidating at times. Check out our Instagram account, @confianzacollective for other storytelling tips.
Finally, as you partner with storytellers, make sure it is actually a partnership. Find ways to support the individuals sharing stories with you:
Acknowledge the feelings of storytellers. They often re-experience what they are writing about, including traumas and other vulnerable memories.
Collaborate with storytellers. Work together so that they feel seen and supported; communicate about how their story will be used, presented, or shared.
Support storytellers practically. Offer storytellers support in the actual writing or recording process so that they deliver a story they are confident about and fits the overall vision. Want help supporting storytellers in preparing to submit or share something? We offer storyteller support through one-on-one coaching for events and public campaigns.
Remember, stories are valuable, and so are the storytellers willing to share them.
Closing Thoughts
It might seem simple to tell your own story or that of your organization. Or, maybe it seems like an impossible task. Whether you’re feeling one extreme or the other, I’d encourage you to find a good balance: Center intentionality and care, but don’t overcomplicate it.
If you’re interested in digital technologies and storytelling, keep an eye out for our next post about digital storytelling and AI. And if you’re interested in seeing how Confianza Collective could collaborate with you in your own storywork, connect with us here. Happy writing!
Dr. Danielle Koepke is a content creator and consultant for social media strategy at Confianza Collective. She is also a teacher and researcher with expertise in digital storytelling, community health, and information literacy. To read more about Danielle’s work, check out her website.