Don’t Get Canceled
January 17, 2024 Uncategorized 0 comment dmillet24
Most of Gen Z was given a phone at a young age. When you’re young, you have no idea what kind of bad things are in the world, let alone the entire internet. We say things, do things, buy things, etc. on the internet and expect no consequences. As soon as you get on the internet, your identity is being tracked. That is called digital footprint, and it’s inescapable.
There are differences between a positive and negative digital footprint. It’s pretty self-explanatory as a positive footprint comprises of good deeds, being kind, and generally good behavior. In contrast, a negative footprint comprises of the opposite: bad behavior and being mean. The actions you make online will affect your future. Employers and colleges can look into your past on the internet and see what kind of person you are. If they see things they don’t like, chances are they won’t accept you into their school or workplace because they want people whom they can trust and expect good behavior from. Back in 2020-2021, there was this thing called “cancel culture”. It is an incredibly massive concept on the internet and I’m sure a lot of people have seen or gotten the consequences from it. Cancel culture is a term used for high social standing people who receive extreme backlash and huge withdrawal of support from fans, other influencers/celebrities, and commoners. Regular people who roam the internet are usually the people “canceling” others. People were getting canceled left and right because of nasty things they said or did even 10 years ago. This is a huge reason why having a positive digital footprint is important. Having a negative digital footprint could get you the opposite of everything I listed. You might not get accepted into college or have a long-lasting career. You might even be canceled online and forever have a bad reputation for something you said when you were 16.
Now, here’s how to create a positive digital footprint. There are many ways to create a positive impact on the internet such as:
-Not sharing small, futile things such as Dunkin Donuts making your drink wrong and you being mad about it. You making a post on Facebook or a tweet out of this is just showcasing your anger, being impulsive, and careless.
-Arguing with someone in the comments of a controversial post. I am very guilty of this as I have most definitely sturred things up and almost got my address leaked (people are crazy like that). I regret a lot of the things I’ve said and now I can’t take it back because it’s on the internet forever. You should try to avoid arguing with people on the internet because in reality, it’s not a big deal and it’s not real. It’s just two strangers behind a screen, arguing about something completely arbitrary. And when two people are mad, they likely say things they don’t mean, and when you say things on the internet, you can’t take it back.
-“Build up social media profiles that showcase your achievements, qualifications, and fields of interest” (BÎZGĂ, 2022). What this means to me is having sports achievements, making good food, or even having your own business. Making music, being into fashion, or traveling can fit into this as well.
There are so many different ways to create a positive digital footprint like thinking before you post, not arguing over arbitrary matters with strangers, building up profiles that show your achievements and interests, and so many more. Now it’s up to you to take the crucial steps in creating a good reputation for yourself over the internet.
Cites- BÎZGĂ, A. (no date) Think before you post: Creating a positive digital footprint and why it matters, Hot for Security. Available at: https://www.bitdefender.com/blog/hotforsecurity/think-before-you-post-creating-a-positive-digital-footprint-and-why-it-matters/ (Accessed: 16 January 2024).
