1. How might your digital footprint affect your future opportunities? Give at least two examples.
Your digital footprint is a permanent marking that you create and leave behind as you continue to use online resources. A digital footprint can and will affect your future opportunities in several different ways, both good and bad. One example may be in an application situation, where a workplace or a school will check your digital footprint to see what you could be like outside of what they know. This can be helpful in a way that they could find out previous work experience that you may have had, or positive passions that you are known to pursue. This can also be negative as well, because workplaces can see all the negative things you have done and put on your digital footprint, that may result in you not able to get hired.
2. Describe at least three strategies that you can use to keep your digital footprint appropriate and safe.
One common strategy to keep your digital footprint safe is to use THINK before you post. This means you will ask 5 relevant questions to what you are about to post, text, or show to the internet. Is it true, hurtful, inspiring, necessary, and kind? If your digital mark can meet the criteria of not being hurtful as well as meet every other question, then it is appropriate and safe to post. Another helpful idea is usually to just ask a friend of family member around you. It is always good to get a second or third input by the people around you, and see if they are okay with what you might be posting. Finally, one last strategy for being safe and appropriate on the internet, is to use common sense. If you genuinely think that whatever you are doing is smart enough, then it should be fine. Do not just click on an ad that makes you believe that you’ve won a jackpot, or text a stranger that may know more about you than you think.
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?
I believe that I am quite responsible in my digital world, as I don’t like to share lots of personal information online to begin with. The best advice I can genuinely give to younger students and possibly even myself, would be to imagine what the consequences of what you might do or say. No matter how you are feeling, there will be an outcome from your input in your digital world, and a lot of it can turn out to be negative.