Digital Footprint Assignment

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

• My digital footprint could affect my career opportunities in the future.
• My digital footprint could affect my friendships and relationships.
• My digital footprint could affect my image if I choose to be in the public eye.

Anybody’s digital footprint can affect their life in some way. If you have a positive digital footprint, you’ll likely have access to more opportunities and therefore experiences. If you have a negative digital footprint, you’ll likely experience the opposite. A neat and positive digital footprint is something that we’re all responsible for creating, so that not only are we rewarded, but so that others feel safe and welcome on the internet.

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

• I should keep track of the websites I sign up for and the content I put on them. I should also verify that these websites are trustworthy before signing up for them.
• I should use a number of strategies to make sure my posts are appropriate and safe before posting them.
• I should make sure that the people I talk to on the internet are trustworthy/that I know them in real life.
• I should be cautious about what I share with and who online.
• I should be aware of my privacy settings.

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 would be less involved in the communities of online games I played/books I read in the past. I didn’t do anything I regret, I just don’t like having accounts in places I don’t remember. I would also be more aware of the accounts I have online and start keeping track of them earlier. It would be nice to be able to keep track of my own digital footprint for longer, and I would like to be able to delete accounts that I don’t need anymore so I don’t have more information on the internet than I need. The advice I would give to any really young person using the internet is simple; Stay in places that are safe for kids, don’t get too invested, don’t fully trust anyone on the internet (unfortunately), keep track of websites, make sure you only use trustworthy sites and talk to an adult about anything that happens. With the awesome right to use the internet comes a lot of responsibility, and it’s up to us as individuals to keep ourselves safe.