Your Digital Footprint
Every time you are online you create a trail of any information you have viewed or created. The record of all your interactions online is YOUR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT. Once something is posted or shared online, it can be there forever. Understanding your digital footprint helps you choose and control what you leave online for others to find.
Your digital footprint — especially on social media — shapes what people will think of you, both now and in the future. Your kids might even look at it one day. Be aware of the kind of trail you are leaving, and what the impact might be.
The internet makes accessing and sharing this information very easy, so it is important to understand and consider your digital footprint whenever you are sharing pictures and videos, making posts and comments and chatting online. Your digital footprint can have a lasting impact on your reputation, relationships and employment opportunities (both positive and negative). Understanding how this works is an important step toward making this impact a positive one.
How do I make a strong digital footprint?
You are in control of what you do online. Bring pride to what you say and do by being positive and respectful. It will help leave a stronger digital footprint. Remember, online business is everyone's business.
A bad digital footprint can:
Cleaning up your digital footprint
If you feel that your digital footprint does not reflect your best qualities, there are steps you can take to clean up your digital footprint.
For practical advice on cleaning a digital footprint, read the ABC News article Protecting your children from their digital footprint.
Top tips for parents
Think before you click
Encourage children to think about content and the consequences of posting it. Are they aware that something that happens on the spur of the moment – a funny picture, an angry post – can still be online years later.
Keep it nice
Don’t make comments, post images or forward something that might upset someone else.
Protect personal information
Teach kids how to strengthen privacy settings, use strong passwords, change passwords regularly and not share them, as well as what is and isn’t appropriate to post or share.
Search yourself
Sit down with your child and type their name into a search engine looking for images as well as text. If you’re both not happy with anything you find, remove the content yourself if possible, or politely ask the person who posted it to delete it.
Make your online presence a positive one
Encourage kids to showcase the positive things they do through blogs, images, video and community participation.
Be a good role model
Demonstrate how you’re careful about what you do online and how you look after your own digital footprint.
Sources:
https://www.digitalcitizenship.nsw.edu.au/
https://www.esafety.gov.au/
Your digital footprint — especially on social media — shapes what people will think of you, both now and in the future. Your kids might even look at it one day. Be aware of the kind of trail you are leaving, and what the impact might be.
The internet makes accessing and sharing this information very easy, so it is important to understand and consider your digital footprint whenever you are sharing pictures and videos, making posts and comments and chatting online. Your digital footprint can have a lasting impact on your reputation, relationships and employment opportunities (both positive and negative). Understanding how this works is an important step toward making this impact a positive one.
How do I make a strong digital footprint?
You are in control of what you do online. Bring pride to what you say and do by being positive and respectful. It will help leave a stronger digital footprint. Remember, online business is everyone's business.
A bad digital footprint can:
- damage friendships
- break relationships
- hurt job chances
- bring shame to your community
- lead to fights between families and community.
Cleaning up your digital footprint
If you feel that your digital footprint does not reflect your best qualities, there are steps you can take to clean up your digital footprint.
For practical advice on cleaning a digital footprint, read the ABC News article Protecting your children from their digital footprint.
Top tips for parents
Think before you click
Encourage children to think about content and the consequences of posting it. Are they aware that something that happens on the spur of the moment – a funny picture, an angry post – can still be online years later.
Keep it nice
Don’t make comments, post images or forward something that might upset someone else.
Protect personal information
Teach kids how to strengthen privacy settings, use strong passwords, change passwords regularly and not share them, as well as what is and isn’t appropriate to post or share.
Search yourself
Sit down with your child and type their name into a search engine looking for images as well as text. If you’re both not happy with anything you find, remove the content yourself if possible, or politely ask the person who posted it to delete it.
Make your online presence a positive one
Encourage kids to showcase the positive things they do through blogs, images, video and community participation.
Be a good role model
Demonstrate how you’re careful about what you do online and how you look after your own digital footprint.
Sources:
https://www.digitalcitizenship.nsw.edu.au/
https://www.esafety.gov.au/
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