Understanding Your Digital Footprint and Ensuring Digital Safety

By Aiden Kim MY DIGITAL FOOTPRINT

MY DIGITAL FOOTPRINT Throughout the internet, on multiple search engines, I have searched far and wide for anything related to me with my name, and I am yet to make any discoveries. When I typed my name up, the first thing that came up was a webtoon character who shares the same name from the manhwa True Beauty . Even though I do have social media accounts, a reason for this might be because to put it in short, I m not very relevant. There are hundreds and thousands and maybe millions of those who have the same name as me, and because I never use my name on accounts, it decreases the chances of me being found, or taking into consideration the amount of digging I did, dare I say impossible. Overall, the things that pop up when typed my name is something I m not very concerned about since nothing related to me comes up. Or maybe I should do more digging, after all, nothing is not on the internet..

Job HOW WILL MY DIGITAL FOOTPRINT AFFECT ME IN THE FUTURE? Recently, when one is applying for a job, rather than a job resume and an interview, there will be a scan of your digital footprint as well, making it so that even thought you may be perfectly, qualified, one slip-up on your digital profile may cost you the job University applications Much like job applications, universities will search for your digital footprint as well. However! Just because your digital footprint is traceable doesn t mean it s the end of the world! When jobs and universities or anyone else goes on a stalking mission on the internet, many might think it is to dig up everything that can be used against you, however, this is not the whole mission. Yes, it isn t wrong that they're looking for things to use against you, but they also look for things that prove that you are the person they are looking for. Your digital footprint can leave traces of you being active and contributive, and many other good things! So don t go deleting your digital footprint when an interview comes up, be aware of whats on it, and use it to your benefit! Your digital footprint is more or less a digital ID. It can tell as little as a hobby, or as much as your personal information such as whereabouts and age. And on the internet, we can see that everything is free territory and permanent, so being in control of this said digital footprint would be beneficial in every aspect. Here are some examples:

DIGITAL SAFETY So far, we discussed that your digital footprint isn t your worst nightmare, but it can lead to it. This is why keeping it safe is a good idea. The most common way you can keep yourself safe is by putting yourself in the shoes of a stalker and asking yourself, what can I use to find information? . If it s searching about your whereabouts, never post your specific location on something that is open to the public eye. If it is personal information, don t post and upload your personal info! To take things further, changing passwords and keeping a variety of them along with an anti-spyware is a good idea. This way, even if someone has your password, it would be useless in a few days or weeks, and hackers or websites trying to take your information will be blocked out by the spyware! Here is a video on some additional ways to keep your information safe.

DIGITAL PERMANENCE Why is this important? This entire presentation revolves around this singular term. Because whatever is on the internet stays forever, this can affect you in many ways. It can affect your future, your reputation, impressions, etc., and as previously mentioned, this can affect your chances of being accepted into a job or a university, and thus raising the cruciality of being aware of it. You wouldn t want a few pictures or words to mess with your whole life, would you? What is it? This term is self-explanatory. Digital being on the computer, and permanence, being permanent. This term is what describes the forever lasting information on the web. In other words, If you post something, it will be traceable for as long as the internet exists

BIBLIOGRAPHY Nimetz, Lloyd. How To Optimize Your Digital Footprint for College Applications. The Spike Lab English, 10 Jan. 2019, https://medium.com/the-spike-lab-english/how-to-optimize-your-digital-footprint-for-college-applications-d3239a319ca8. Live My Digital for Students: Digital Footprint. www.youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBg2YYV3Bts. Accessed 14 Dec. 2021. Safe Web Surfing: Top Tips for Kids and Teens Online. www.youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrln8nyVBLU. Accessed 14 Dec. 2021.