In our second digital media lecture, we discussed our digital footprint. A digital footprint is the tracing we leave online when we visit websites, log in and out of our emails accounts, and leave comments and chat messages on sites such as Facebook. Online personal information that we think is private or shared with only people whom we choose is really public. Even information that friends post online about you contributes to your digital footprint and identity. Our digital footprint is also permanent. Once information about us goes online, it is there forever.
Our digital footprint can be traced by strangers, who may judge you based on your online profile. Picture this. You go for a job interview, and you feel as if you made an excellent impression on the employer. You leave the interview feeling secure that you will be offered the job. That night you go to a party with your friends and get wasted. Someone takes a picture of your wild night, posts it on Facebook, and tags you in the picture. Later that week you receive an email from the prospective employer saying that you did not get the job. The employer searched your name online and found many pictures of you passed out drunk and concluded you would not be a desirable employee. This is one example of a negative footprint that can ruin an individual’s future opportunities.
Fortunately, my digital footprint is positive. When I googled myself, I only found some of my profile pictures from Facebook. I also went on the website called spezify.com and searched my name. I saw a few of my tweets about my favorite television shows, but nothing that I wrote was inappropriate. Based on my digital footprint alone, people would know that I am a teenage girl who loves listening to pop music, watching television, and spending time with friends.
Because I do not have a common name, it is easy for people to find information about me on the internet. For this reason, I make sure that I only post information and pictures on Facebook that show my interests and are appropriate. I am very aware that people might have access to my account, which is why I am careful about what I post. I have made all my settings on Facebook private. After this lecture, I have considered changing my twitter setting to private because the whole word doesn’t need to see my tweets. I will also be more conscious as to what I post online.
In my opinion, it is important to have a balance between what you share online and what you keep to yourself. I do believe that, if you are careful about what you post online, there are a lot of advantages to having an online identity. It is connects people who have similar interests. It allows others to learn more about our personality. It also allows us to share opinions on current events and issues. You shouldn’t post anything online that you might regret later, such as pictures of you being drunk or or comments that are rude or hurtful to other people. You don’t want to post information that would risk your safety or the safety of others. For example, you should not post personal identifying information such as your phone number or address. As long as you have a balance, then having an online identity can be a good thing.
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