Your Digital Footprint

Your Digital Footprint

Years ago people thought they could be anonymous online. Now everyone knows Internet activity leaves a trail. Your digital footprint can be intended (blogs, Facebook pages, etc.) or unintended (like from shopping online or registering to get access to a website).

Today the explosion of reality tv shows, memoirs, blogs, it can seem perfectly natural and even necessary to disclose opinions, dreams, and personal details anywhere, anytime. And it can be really fun to use videos, photos, blogs and message boards to show your life to other people.

BUT, as fun as it can be to post information about yourself online, it’s extremely important to learn how to manage your digital footprint in order to manage your safety and your reputation.

Most of you know not to share details that might make you vulnerable to predators such as addresses and phone numbers. But there are other things you shouldn’t post online for different reasons, mainly because you may regret it later. Still, posting something they later regret is becoming a rite of passage for young people. We keep hearing more and more stories about young people who are losing things from scholarships and internships to jobs and even dates because of something stupid they posted online.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself before you post something online:

• Who are your friends? Although a long list of “friends” might make you feel popular, posting to hundreds of casual friends is like putting the same information on a bulletin board at school. Some personal details should only go to people who have proven themselves trustworthy.

• Are you using privacy tools? Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites offer an assortment of tools that allow members to screen their profiles from the general public as well as search engines. They are also introducing filters that will help members give different levels of access to different kinds of friends. USE THESE!!!

• What do you want your reputation to be? Remember, life is long and you may not always want to be seen the way you are today. Eventually you will probably want to get into college, land a good job, find a responsible spouse and maybe even raise a family, so it’s important to get into the habit of imagining how a future employer/spouse/child will feel about what you are posting today.

• What can you do about mistakes? Cleaning up a digital footprint isn’t easy. That’s why there are now reputation management companies like Reputation Defender (reputationdefender.com) that help people restore their online reputations. These companies cost big bucks, though. You can try some do-it-yourself tactics like contacting websites to ask (nicely) that they remove problematic materials. Other helpful tips for fixing digital missteps can be found in Not Just Your Space, a free e-book written by Tim Dugan, the young founder of a reputation management company called Naymz. (http://www.naymz.com/blog/?p=32).

But the best tactic is simple: start thinking more carefully about the online impression you are making. Learning good habits early means you will be less likely to leave behind footprints you regret and more likely to blaze an online trail of which you can be proud even when you are an adult.

Copyright, 2008, Carolyn Jabs. All rights reserved.

Image by Jessi Bryan licensed through Creative Commons: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bryanandjess/3883691406/

Carolyn Jabs, M.A.

About the Author

Carolyn Jabs, M.A.

Your Digital Footprint Carolyn Jabs, M.A. Your Digital Footprint Years ago people thought they could be anonymous online. Now everyone knows Internet activity leaves a trail. Your digital footprint can be intended (blogs, Facebook pages, etc.) or unintended (like from shopping online or registering to get access to a website). Today the explosion of reality tv shows, memoirs, blogs, it can seem perfectly natural and even necessary to disclose opinions, dreams, and personal details anywhere, anytime. And it can be really fun to use videos, photos, blogs and message boards to show your life to other people. BUT, as fun as it can be to post information about yourself online, it’s extremely important to learn how to manage your digital footprint in order to manage your safety and your reputation. Most of you know not to share details that might make you vulnerable to predators such as addresses and phone numbers. But there are other things you shouldn’t post online for different reasons, mainly because you may regret it later. Still, posting something they later regret is becoming a rite of passage for young people. We keep hearing more and more stories about young people who are losing things from scholarships and internships to jobs and even dates because of something stupid they posted online. Here are some questions you can ask yourself before you post something online: • Who are your friends? Although a long list of “friends” might make you feel popular, posting to hundreds of casual friends is like putting the same information on a bulletin board at school. Some personal details should only go to people who have proven themselves trustworthy. • Are you using privacy tools? Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites offer an assortment of tools that allow members to screen their profiles from the general public as well as search engines. They are also introducing filters that will help members give different levels of access to different kinds of friends. USE THESE!!! • What do you want your reputation to be? Remember, life is long and you may not always want to be seen the way you are today. Eventually you will probably want to get into college, land a good job, find a responsible spouse and maybe even raise a family, so it’s important to get into the habit of imagining how a future employer/spouse/child will feel about what you are posting today. • What can you do about mistakes? Cleaning up a digital footprint isn’t easy. That’s why there are now reputation management companies like Reputation Defender (reputationdefender.com) that help people restore their online reputations. These companies cost big bucks, though. You can try some do-it-yourself tactics like contacting websites to ask (nicely) that they remove problematic materials. Other helpful tips for fixing digital missteps can be found in Not Just Your Space, a free e-book written by Tim Dugan, the young founder of a reputation management company called Naymz. (http://www.naymz.com/blog/?p=32). But the best tactic is simple: start thinking more carefully about the online impression you are making. Learning good habits early means you will be less likely to leave behind footprints you regret and more likely to blaze an online trail of which you can be proud even when you are an adult. Copyright, 2008, Carolyn Jabs. All rights reserved. Image by Jessi Bryan licensed through Creative Commons: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bryanandjess/3883691406/
About the Author Carolyn Jabs, M.A. Carolyn Jabs, M.A., is mother to three computer-savvy kids. She has written about families and the Internet for two decades.