Currently, the internet plays such a key role the way our society functions. I think it is arguable that it is a part of who we are or even how we define ourselves. We post our ideas, photos, and videos on our social media accounts, forums, and websites. So, in a way our online presence is a part of who we are. This online presence has been called our digital footprint. Is all the digital information that people produce that there are either actively sharing Ā through posting on social media or uploading to the internet or by devices passively uploading information that people may not be aware of, but have consented to, like sharing GPS data (Thatcher, 2014).

Attribution: Footstep by Samy Menai from the Noun Project
https://thenounproject.com/term/footstep/372220/

Since it is so common to have a digital presence, that looking into someoneā€™s digital footprint is becoming a regular part in a background check. This means that an employer is not exclusively looking for criminal offenses, but also looking into who you are on social media, to ensure that you are who you say your areĀ (Benson & Filippaios, 2010), but most likely to see who you are compared to what you said in your interview.

Due to this extra layer of scrutiny on our digital footprint, we need to exert caution as to what information we put on our digital scrapbooks. This may be disheartening to some, because we want to share our experiences and share with friends and family who may be far away. However, a negative digital footprint can cause a lot of problems for a person in the future. By posing inappropriate information, pictures, or opinionsĀ  you can ruin a chance at employment, a post-secondary opportunity, or be reprimanded at work (Buchanan, Southgate, Smith, Murray, & Noble, 2017). Therefore, I think we need to change the way we teach social media in school to including the importance of a positive digital footprint into our lessons on digital safety and citizenship.

Societal norms have changes, in which we expect people to have a digital presence, teaching kids to not use social media can also be damaging to the futures (Buchanan, Southgate, Smith, Murray, & Noble, 2017) We should be teaching students about the importance of the digital footprint. It can be a way of representing your own ā€œ ā€˜Personal brandā€™ that allows others to see your interests, achievements and skillsā€ (Buchanan, Southgate, Smith, Murray, & Noble, 2017, p. 285). I think that through these kinds of lessons, we can also show the opportunity for professional networking, sharing of ideas, and resources that can be achieved through social media.

 

Check out an example of how to include positive uses of social mediaĀ  embedded within the classroom environment.

References

Benson, V., & Filippaios, F. (2010). Effect of Digital Footprint on Career Management: Evidence from Social Media in Business Education. Springer, 480-486.

Buchanan, R., Southgate, E., Smith, S., Murray, T., & Noble, B. (2017). Post No Photos, Leave No Trace: Children’s Digital Footprint Management Stratagies. E-Learning and Digital Media, 275-290.

Thatcher, J. (2014). Living on Fumes: Digital Footprints, Data Fumes, and the Limitations of Spatial Big Data. International Journal of Communication, 1765-1783.