Creating and curating an online presence can sometimes be a challenge. Many times we think that our digital identity is primarily defined by what our social networks allow us to share about our lives. Many other people don’t understand the power they have in determining or defining their digital identity.
This post defines your digital footprint as “the record or trail left by the things you do online.” This is formed by your social media activity, info on your personal website. This may also be determined by your browsing history, online subscriptions, as well as any photo galleries and videos you’ve uploaded. This ultimately boils down to anything on the Internet with your name on it.
The post goes on to identify 11 tips to share with students about monitoring their digital footprints:
- Be kind, helpful, and understanding
- Use privacy settings
- Keep a list of accounts
- Don’t overshare
- Use a password keeper
- Google yourself
- Monitor linking accounts
- Consider using an anonymous secondary email
- At least skim the terms and conditions
- Know that sending is like publishing–forever
- Understand that searches are social
SOURCE: TeachThought
