Manage your Digital Footprint and Identity

Contents:

Media Balance is Important
Pause & Think Online
We, The Digital Citizens
Digital Trails
This is Me!
Our Online Tracks
Beyond Gender Stereotypes
Who are you Online?
The Power of Digital Footprints
Social Media and Digital Footprint: Our Responsibilities
Protecting Online Reputations
Curated Lives
Who’s looking at your Digital Footprint?
The Change you want to See

Media Balance is Important

How do we find a happy balance between our online and offline activities?

Sometimes what we’re doing online is so fun that it’s easy to lose track of time. That’s why it’s important to stop and notice when people and other fun things are happening in real life around us. When we’re using devices, it’s important to follow certain rules to make sure we’re making healthy and responsible choices.

It’s important to always pause what you’re doing on a device to acknowledge the people around you. The people in real life might want to tell you something important, or ask a question.
Just like in real life, it’s important not to exclude anyone. If you’re playing a game or doing something on a device, make sure that you’re not ignoring anyone, especially if that person wants to join the fun too!
Doctors say that it is best to sleep with devices off so that we don’t get distracted while we are sleeping. It’s a good idea to charge devices away from where you sleep.
A phone or tablet is someone’s personal property. Just like you ask permission before using a neighbor’s gardening tools, you should ask permission before grabbing someone’s phone — including your parents’ phone. Remember that a lot of grown-ups use their phones for work and have important information saved in them. Treat their devices with respect!

Pause & Think Online

How can we be safe, responsible, and respectful online?

There are many different things we can do online, including learning new information, playing games, communicating with friends and family, and looking at pictures and videos. When we go online, it’s important to follow certain rules to make sure we have a good time.

It’s important not to believe everything you see on the internet, since people can make things up that aren’t true. Always think carefully about the things you see online!
It’s a good idea to take a break from technology every once in a while, so you can spend time being active and hanging out with friends and family.
It’s important not to open up messages from people you don’t know, since the information may not be appropriate or safe.
Being mean hurts people’s feelings. We are kind and courteous to others, both in person and online.
Why shouldn’t you share your username and password with other people? It is considered private information and something you want to keep safe. Others could log in to your account and pretend to be you. You should only share it with trusted adults, like your parents.

We, the Digital Citizens

How can we be good digital citizens?

Amazing possibilities come with using technology. As Digital Citizens, we also need to take a pledge to be safe, responsible, and respectful when traveling through the online world.

You must have made promises to be safe and responsible (e.g., looking both ways before crossing the street, look after a younger sibling, doing school work every night, etc.). A promise doesn’t have to be something you specifically say to someone, as long as it’s something you commit to doing. Another word for promise is pledge.

It’s a good idea to set a time limit so that you don’t end up spending too much time online that you miss out on other important things, like spending time with your friends and family, finishing homework, or getting enough sleep!

It’s important not to talk to strangers online, since they can be pretending to be someone they are not and you could get yourself in an unsafe situation. Only talk to people you’ve met face-to-face.

Digital Trails

What information is OK to have in your digital footprint?

Does what you do online always stay online? Information you share online leaves a digital footprint or “trail.” Depending on how you manage it, this trail can be big or small, and harmful or helpful. A digital footprint is a record (or trail) of what you do online, including the sites you visit and the things you share.

What information you should NOT share online?
Private information such as one’s full name, address, phone number, age, birthday, school name.

What information is OK to share online?
Personal information such as hobbies, favorite things.

While it is OK to share fun and interesting information online, sharing private information like where you live or your full name is unsafe, since the internet is a public space where strangers can see this information. And sharing secrets online can hurt other people’s feelings. It’s important to think carefully about what we share online because the information is permanent.

This is Me

From selfies to social media, many of us create unique online identities for ourselves. But do we always understand how others might perceive what we post? Think critically about the online identities you’re creating.

When we post selfies or other images for people to see, that will often lead them to make assumptions about who we are. An assumption is something that someone thinks is true, but in reality, may or may not be true.

Your identity is different parts of your culture, experiences, and interests that make you unique — like your personality, where you live, or where your family is from. Sharing things online that show your identity can feel good. It’s like showing off who you are to the world! And we all have our own unique combination of things that make us who we are. But we should think carefully about what we share about ourselves online. And remember that others might make assumptions about us.

Our Online Tracks

Your digital footprint can affect your online reputation for a long time. But we don’t always realize that digital footprints aren’t just a personal matter. You can contribute to a positive digital reputation, both for yourself and for others.

In addition to the physical footprints we leave on the earth, we also leave a footprint when we’re online. And that footprint, just like a fossil, can tell a lot about us and can last for a very long time. This is called a digital footprint, and it is a record of what we do online, including the sites we visit and the things we post. It can also include things that others post, like pictures of us or comments about us. Not everything in our footprint is under our control.

Given that our digital footprints last a long time and that we’re not always in control of what becomes part of our footprint, there are some responsibilities we have when it comes to being online. A responsibility is something that we should think about before we act. In this case, we have a responsibility to ourselves and to others before we do something online.

What do you think some of our responsibilities are for being online? Both to ourselves and to others?

RESPONSIBILITIES TO OURSELVES	RESPONSIBILITIES TO OTHERS
Show your best self when you’re online Only post things you’re comfortable showing publicly	Get permission before posting a pic of someone or tagging them Treat others online how you would want to be treated

Beyond Gender Stereotypes

What do you think when you hear them?

Boys are competitive and like to win.
Girls worry about how they look.
Boys are aggressive and loud.
Girls are all drama queens.

The statements that were just made are examples of gender stereotypes. Gender stereotypes are oversimplified ideas about how women and men are or should be. These ideas or beliefs are often part of our culture, and it can be easy for any of us to be influenced by them. They can come from many places, including the people in our lives, like our family, friends, and community. They also often come from the digital media that we see online, such as from YouTube, Netflix, online magazines, music, and social media.

Think about your experiences online. What examples of gender stereotypes have you seen or heard? It could be a character in a show, something from a music video, or even a message someone posted.

What’s important to remember about gender stereotypes is that they are oversimplifications. In other words, it’s not that they’re never true. It’s that they’re not always true, and it’s unfair and biased to expect someone to be a certain way because of their gender. A bias is an unfair belief about a person or group based on a stereotype. Everyone deserves a chance to figure out what works for them.

Stereotypes can come from many places. One place we often see gender stereotypes is when we’re online — when we play online games, watch online videos, and communicate with others through comments, photos, and even avatars. An avatar is an image or character that represents a person online.

Who are you Online?

Have you heard the term “finsta” ? What does it mean?

finsta: a fake Instagram account used for posting to a specific group of people or to post anonymously. Anonymously means without anyone knowing who you are.

Such accounts are also called “fake social media accounts” or “spam accounts.”

What are the reasons someone might have for creating a fake social media account?
Why post messages or images only to certain people or post them anonymously?

Reasons may include:

To post about topics that only certain people will be interested in (e.g., video games, football, skateboarding, etc.). These are called affinity groups.
To post messages and images that are more casual or personal for close friends and family. Some people prefer to keep their main account more carefully curated. To curate means to select, organize, and look after a collection.
To post messages or images that are hidden from certain people (i.e., parents, teachers, grandparents, etc.).
To post things that they don’t want to be associated with in real life (private thoughts, inappropriate jokes, mean comments, etc.).

There can be different results when people post from fake social media accounts — some intended, some not.

Is it worth it or not to create and use fake social media accounts? Discuss with your friends and parents.

The Power of Digital Footprints

Our digital footprints can impact our future. What others find about us online shapes how they see us or feel about us. You can take steps to shape what others find and see about you online.

Watch this video. According to the video, what do these have to do with the term “digital footprint”?

a lighthouse
a copier
a whisper in the ear
a stadium and a jumbotron
a permanent marker

A digital footprint is all the information online about a person either posted by that person or others, intentionally or unintentionally. Like the images show, a digital footprint can reveal a lot about someone (lighthouse, whisper in ear), it can be shared widely (copier and stadium/jumbotron), and it’s permanent (permanent marker). These images remind us that a digital footprint is persistent, which means it lasts a long time.

What you do online is different from what you do in person because the audience who sees it is invisible.

For example, imagine a friend from preschool you haven’t talked to in years follows you on Instagram and is part of your audience. What if he shows your posts to his mom? Or takes a screenshot to send to his cousin? Or, what if you don’t realize that your Instagram posts are getting saved and archived, and they pop up years later once you’ve forgotten about them? These are all examples of invisible audiences that you probably weren’t thinking about when you made a post.

Who might be part of the invisible audience that would search for information about you or posted by you online?

It can includes both people you know personally and people you don’t.

old friends
colleges or schools you apply to
possible employers
scholarship committees
leaders of groups or organizations you want to join

How might people who don’t know you see your posts, or posts about you, differently from those who do?

They might make incorrect judgments about you based on incomplete information.
They might misinterpret something you post because they don’t have the whole context.

Your digital footprint is somewhat in your control and also somewhat out of your control. You can make decisions about what you post about yourself and what you send to others. However, your footprint, what you post, and what others see about you can have a big impact on your life. So it’s important for you to think carefully as you share online and add to your digital footprint.

What are some ways you might be able to monitor and shape your digital footprint?

Think before you post, because many things you do online will add to your digital footprint.
Remember to review your privacy settings.
Perform a search on yourself every so often to see what your digital footprint looks like.

Social Media and Digital Footprints: Our Responsibilities

How does using social media affect our digital footprints?

Social media can be a place to connect, learn, and, most of all, share. But how much do we know about what we’re sharing — and not just about ourselves but each other?

Some Benefits of Social Media:

Communication: It’s a way to stay in touch and stay connected to friends and family.
Expression: You can post your personal opinions and ideas about important topics.
Entertainment: It’s fun to share things you’re interested in.
Future: It’s an opportunity to present a curated version of yourself for the public or for colleges and employers.

Drawbacks:

Oversharing: when people share something they later regret
Permanence: Embarrassing or regrettable posts, including those that “disappear” (Snaps, Stories, etc.), become part of your permanent digital footprint, which might have a negative impact. (Digital footprint is all the information online about a person posted either by that person or others, intentionally or unintentionally.
Social pressure: When everyone else is posting, you feel pressure to participate.
Life balance: Managing multiple platforms and accounts requires a lot of time.

How you use social media has a big impact on both your digital footprint and the digital footprints of others.

Having “responsibilities to” someone means that you think about how your actions will affect them.

One responsibility you have to yourself when you use social media is to keep your posts positive. You are more likely to regret it later if you post something negative or mean, even if you delete the post. So by keeping your posts positive, you know you will feel OK about them later.

Your community includes people you know and interact with personally while your world includes people you don’t know but who may see your social media posts or be affected by them.

For example, you may feel you have a responsibility to your community to not post embarrassing pictures of those people without their permission. And you may feel a responsibility to your world to not post or spread gossip or hateful things.

Protecting Online Reputations

How can you respect the privacy of others online?

Tagging friends on social media is a great way to connect with others and capture memorable experiences. But what if they don’t want to be tagged? Can you take responsibility for how you may affect the digital footprints of others?

Heard the term “sharenting”? Sharenting is when parents or caregivers post excessive or sensitive details about children’s lives online, usually through photos and comments on social media. Posting online about your children is something many parents do, and has a lot of benefits. However, there is some debate about the potential consequences it can have.

Watch this video.

What are the upsides and downsides to sharing posts, photos, and videos of children online?

Upsides:

Some kids like having their pictures on the internet; it makes them feel famous.
It can be a creative outlet for parents or caregivers and preserve important memories.
It allows important moments in a child’s life to be shared with family and friends.

Downsides:

Children may not like or may feel embarrassed or scared about what’s been shared when they get older.
It starts a permanent digital footprint that can reflect negatively on them later.
It enables advertisers to start building profiles for targeted advertising.

This debate does not just apply to parents and caregivers. It applies to everyone, because anytime you post a photo that includes someone else, or you tag someone in a post, you’re adding to that person’s digital footprint.

Your digital footprint is important because it affects your digital reputation, which is what people think about you based on what they see online (social media, public information, photos, etc.). This can be difficult to manage, because it is not totally in your control. Even things that you delete or remove can still have been captured in a screenshot, downloaded, or saved by others. It also includes things that others may have posted about you, or that you’re tagged in.

What kinds of things might be good for your reputation in the future if they are posted online now? What kinds of things might be not so good?

Good for Digital Reputation:

Photos and videos of you doing activities for school and community
Positive comments about you from others
Cool things you created for school or for fun
Sports and hobbies that show your talents

Bad for Digital Reputation:

Embarrassing or humiliating comments or photos
Hints of drug or alcohol use
References to illegal or bad behaviour
Personal information that you shared in confidence with someone
Photos that were taken without your consent

There can be consequences when you post pictures or information about others online. And those consequences can be long-term. That’s why all of us have a responsibility to make sure that we think about other people’s privacy and reputations before we post.

ow can we make sure that we take this responsibility seriously? What questions can we ask ourselves before posting something, to protect the reputations of others? Questions might include:

What am I posting, and where am I posting it?
Who might see what I post?
Might it be harmful, harmless, or something in between to the person?
Did I ask permission from this person to post it?
Did I ask permission to tag people?
Even if I don’t think something is harmful, is it possible that my friend will?
Do I know my friend’s feelings about what he (or she) would want posted?
Would I feel comfortable if someone posted this about me?
What are the possible consequences of sharing this information about that person?
How might the information affect the person’s digital reputation?
Could the information be offensive to some members of the online community?

Curated Lives

How can you create a social media presence that represents the real you?

Social media gives us a chance to choose how we present ourselves to the world. We can snap and share a pic in the moment or carefully stage photos and select only the ones we think are best.

Both online and in real life, we show different sides of ourselves at different times. For example, with friends or family, we might share details about our personal likes and hobbies; while with people we don’t know so well, we might only share more general information. Being online and using social media gives us the opportunity to curate what we share with people.

Curate means selecting, organizing, and looking after a collection of photos, writings, or other artifacts.

We do this online when we choose what photos, videos, posts, and details we choose to make public or share with specific groups of people. These decisions about curation can be different for everyone.

Watch this video: Who are you on social media?

How much do you feel influenced by what you see online? From your friends? From “influencers”?
How much of what you post and share online do you feel represents a core or essential part of who you are?
How much do you use your online presence to explore new things or “try on” different ways of being?

There are many ways to think about your real self and your curated self, and how the two may or may not be related. It’s important to recognise that being online presents opportunities to express yourself and to see the self-expression of others.

Who’s looking at your Digital Footprint?

How can information you post online affect your future opportunities?

Our digital footprints can have a powerful impact on our future. This can be a scary thought, given that what’s in our digital footprint isn’t always in our control. Digital footprints are also an opportunity to showcase our best selves and craft a footprint that leads to future success.

Have you ever Googled yourself? What type of information comes up?

Some of the key aspects of a digital footprint:

It’s growing. Your footprint expands as your information is copied and passed on, making it more searchable and viewable to a large invisible audience.
It’s not just up to you. When other people — like your friends, companies, or groups you belong to — track, post, or share information about you, it becomes part of your footprint.
It’s permanent. Because it is archived in a variety of ways and passed on by others, it doesn’t ever go away.

Watch this video: Harvard withdraws acceptance over social media messages

The students’ admission was rescinded because they made offensive posts on social media, and Harvard decided they didn’t meet the moral character requirements to be allowed in. Although there may be arguments for and against Harvard’s decision, Harvard is a private institution and has the right to allow or not allow students in based on their digital footprint. The same is true for many employers who are private companies or organisations, and who have the right to make hiring and firing decisions based on someone’s online activity.

Although you just looked at a very public example of how your digital footprint can work against you, it can also work for you, and can help you get admitted to a school or hired by an employer. Although not everything in our footprint is under our control, there are steps you can take to make your footprint a help rather than a hindrance.

The Change You Want to See

How can you create a digital footprint that showcases your purpose?

Research shows that happiness in life is less about what you do and more about why you do it. When your actions have purpose, they lead to positive results — both for you and the world.

Your digital footprint largely consists of things you have said and done. In that way, it is kind of like a recording of your past. However, because it is permanent and will likely be looked at by many people in the future, including colleges and jobs you apply to, it is also an opportunity for the future. It is an opportunity to showcase your best self.

Watch this video: The Purpose Challenge

The main ideas in the video:

Your purpose is not what you do, but why you do it.
Finding your purpose can help you get a job you enjoy or get into college.
Knowing your purpose can lead to being healthier and happier later in life.

Start thinking about how you can showcase your best self and purpose through your digital footprint, and make a positive impact on the world. Possible next steps they can take include:

Sharpen Your Focus. Think about a problem you’re interested in solving and how solving it might align with your own passions and skills.
Connect with Others. Use social media or another platform to join with others who are also interested in your purpose or in solving the problem.
Start a Campaign. Use an app or a website or email to start a petition and campaign around solving the problem you have identified. See your teacher for a list of tools.

For the third bullet, here is a list of tools that you can use to engage (or start) a campaign around a particular problem.