WHAT IS A DIGITAL FOOTPRINT? HOW DO YOU

PROTECT IT/ HOW DOES IT EFFECT YOU?

Digital Footprint

Prepared by Amy Zhang

W H A T I S A D I G I T A L

F O O T P R I N T ?

what exactly is it?

A digital footprint is a trail of things and information you leave behind as you use the

internet. The comments you typed out on Instagram, the photos you sent to your friends on

social media - they are all stored in the websites you visit and could be seen by others or

tracked in a database.

As you browse websites and/or social media more, you will most likely see ads that might be

in your area of interest coming up on your screen. This is because the companies can get

access to the information and customize an advertisement that will be appealing to specific

age groups.

You may think you are safe when you create an account with complicated passwords that

no one could probably ever think of, but most of the time, that is not the case (unless you

make your account private, but we'll get to that). Anyone, strangers included, could tell a lot

from the information you leave behind on websites and social media, and they could

possibly be used against you in the near future.Bijou Solutions, Inc. | 2020

H O W D I G I T A L

F O O T P R I N T C A N

A F F E C T

your personal brand and future opportunities

Far back into the past, social media didn't exist. But now it does, and it is getting more and

more popular as years grow - you probably wouldn't care about the nasty comment you just

made a few minutes ago on social media, but your future might-be employers may be able

to get access to your account and see what you do outside of work - including what you just

commented. things might get downhill from there.

Since nowadays people mostly spend their free time on social media, companies and

employers could be using search engines and social media to find future could-be

employees. Which means, they could see what you do online, outside of work/school. This

also ties with your personal brand, since they would most likely know what kind of person you

are by the words you use, the photos you post, and the photos you like.

For example, if you liked an inappropriate photo or used swear words, you never know -

companies could be reading you, and will make assumptions about your personality. In this

case, they might pass. They might think you are rude, and likes inappropriate things - things

employers most likely don't want in their employees.

H O W Y O U C A N

P R O T E C T Y O U R

D I G I T A L F O O T P R I N T

kepping it safe and appropriate

After all of this information about digital footprint, are you getting a little bit anxious about

your security safety of your information online? Don't worry - there are many ways you can

keep it safe.

Privacy settings - one of the easiest and most simple ways to keep your accounts and

information on social medias safe. when you make your account go private, people that

doesn't follow you would not be able to see what you post - unless you accept their request,

but if you don't know them, don't accept.

Keep a list of accounts - Do you still remember the account that you accidentally created on

a random website? you probably don't, but if you do, find it and delete it. IF you leave it out in

clear space without having control over it, people might be able to find you and get a lot of

information about you, which is not a good thing. So find the accounts you don't use

anymore, and delete them.d

Don't overshare - you just created an account on Instagram, and you are excited. you are

ready to put a lot of information in your bio, but I suggest you don't. Bios are info that people

could still see even if your account is private, so I suggest that you put as less information

about yourself as possible.

I N T H E E N D . . .why should we care?

If I were to explain "digital permanence" to someone, such as a peer or a

student, I would tell them that all the information you recorded on the

websites you go to and the things you share on social media will be there

forever - it is data that you could never erase. Because of this, people

should be careful of what they leave behind on these sites and social

medias because the data, when tracked or found by strangers or even

future employers, could affect your personal brand and also your future

opportunities, good or bad.

Citations

H T T P S : / / W W W . I N T E R N E T S O C I E T

Y . O R G / T U T O R I A L S / Y O U R -

D I G I T A L - F O O T P R I N T - M A T T E R S /  

H T T P S : / / E N . W I K I P E D I A . O R G / W I K

I / S O C I A L _ N E T W O R K _ A D V E R T I S I

N G  

H T T P S : / / W W W . H U F F I N G T O N P O S

T . C A / L I S A - O S T R I K O F F / D I G I T A L -

R E P U T A T I O N _ B _ 3 3 2 5 9 5 7 . H T M L  

H T T P S : / / W W W . T E A C H T H O U G H T .

C O M / T H E - F U T U R E - O F -

L E A R N I N G / 1 1 - T I P S - F O R -

S T U D E N T S - T O M A N A G E - T H E I R -

D I G I T A L - F O O T P R I N T S /