Tracking Your Digital Footprint

Having a digital footprint nowadays can either be positive or negative. What is a digital footprint? A digital footprint is the information about a particular person that exists on the internet as a result of their online activity. Now your digital footprint can actually affect your Job and many of your other social media accounts. But how can you affect your digital footprint?

Why is having a positive digital footprint important? Well when applying for a job or even a school, your employer has every right to look you up online or look at your public social media accounts online. If you have a positive digital footprint they probably like what they see online of you, like positive stuff like showing that you support groups, positive picture, and over all a nice and helping person. And with a positive track record of your digital footprint you would most likely get accepted or hired if you qualify. “Taking steps to build a positive digital footprint will help represent the person you aim to be to achieve your career goals.” (myfuture) this quote supports that having a positive footprint is more beneficial for your future and as a person to achieve some life goals.

Why is having a negative digital footprint important? When also applying to a job or a school, your employer again has every right to look you up and judge your personality off of your social media or your digital footprint. And if the employer sees that you have a negative footprint they have every right to not hire and not accept you into their place. Because they probably see a negative in you and don’t want that in their place if they can help it. “Any information that contributes to a negative digital footprint, such as racist or sexist content, may impact the final decision of whether the employer offers you the job or not.”(myfuture) this quote show’s that having a negative digital footprint can affect your future as person and make a lot harder to achieve your life goals.

Having a digital footprint can be confusing at times, you can post something that you think is awesome and love and other people might just might hate that exact thing you loved so it can be hard. So how do you know what to do in order to lean towards making a positive or a negative digital footprint. “self-regulation is knowing when something you want to post online is or isn’t appropriate.”(myfuture) this quote shows that having a in brain filter can help and actually taking a minute to think if this is really something that I want to post and associate my self with? “A good rule of thumbs is to ask yourself whether you would want your parents or colleagues seeing the content. If people you look up to wouldn’t approve you can consider that an employer or your colleagues may not either.”(myfuture) this quote shows that posting is all about the image if you post bad images or post bad comments you will have a negative digital footprint if you post good images and post positive words you will have a positive digital footprint.

I believe in the long run having a positive digital footprint is way more beneficial than having a negative one. If you ever have big goals in life and want the help you want and the support of others around you, having a positive digital footprint will help you reach those goals. Having a negative digital footprint won’t help anybody and will probably lead to more enemies down the road and just make life a little more stressful. Rather than just staying positive and keep going up in life and achieving those goals whatever they are with a positive mindset to it all!

“Digital Footprint” by kyteacher is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.