1. How might your digital footprint affect your future opportunities? Give at least two examples.

My digital footprint might affect my future opportunities positively because I have maintained a positive digital footprint so far.

An example of how I have done this is that: when I Googled my full name, the only two things that came up that was relevant to me or that I posted was a picture of a story book that I wrote once on a site called StoryJumper, as well as another story I wrote once for a contest. This could maybe lead to a positive picture-book-writing/story-writing opportunity in my future! Everything else that came up was about other people with the same name as me.

This means that in terms of the Googling-my-full-name aspect, there is nothing in my digital footprint that could affect my future opportunities negatively. I have never posted anything harmful, inappropriate, unsafe, or negative. This would affect my future opportunities positively too because it demonstrates to people who are looking at me to fulfill an opportunity that I am responsible online and thus I’ll get potentially better opportunities.

2. Describe at least three strategies that you can use to keep your digital footprint appropriate and safe.

1. Always use the T.H.I.N.K acronym/technique before posting anything online or digitally to ensure that I am being safe and appropriate and kind.
2. I will never disclose any of my or others’ personal information (personal address, phone number, passwords, bank card numbers, etc.) online ever again, even in private messages!
3. Don’t post anything to bully, hurt, blackmail, insult, or afflict any kind of harm on others. (T.H.I.N.K: is it Kind?)

(https://tinyurl.com/y6lfmtpz)

3. If you could go back in time, is there anything you would do differently online? Think of what type of advice you would pass on to your younger self or other students. How could you go about explaining it to them?

If I could go back in time, I would follow Strategy #2 (in the question above) more closely! While doing that question, I suddenly remembered that I have given my address to some friends online before (in a private message), without being aware that I was being unsafe! Now I know I should be more careful and never disclose my personal info. Good thing we’ve moved already!

My advice that I would pass on to my younger self or other students is that you have to be careful while doing anything online, because sadly there are some people online with bad intentions. Always be safe, don’t get personal, and use the T.H.I.N.K acronym whatever you are doing online.