Introduction

What is a digital footprint?

Your digital footprint is like a path left behind as you click through the internet. It’s a record of
what you do online, including search history, emails, personal information you enter on websites,
social media posts, and even social media interactions (like comments or likes)
My personal digital footprints are:
Online shopping
 Making purchases from e-commerce websites
 Signing up for coupons or creating an account
 Downloading and using shopping apps
 Registering for brand newsletters
Social media
 Using social media on your computer or devices
 Logging into other websites using your social
media credentials
 Connecting with friends and contacts
 Sharing information, data, and photos with your
connections
 Joining a dating site or app
Reading the news
 Subscribing to an online news source
 Viewing articles on a news app
 Signing up for a publication’s newsletter
 Reposting articles and information you read
 Bullying and harassment. Not only can things posted online be shared and saved with bad
intent, but people looking to harass or bully others can do so by finding information
contained in a digital footprint.
 Scamming. The more personal information you share on the internet, the easier it is for
predators to find information they can use to try to scam you or others through identity theft
and other practices.
 Damage to reputation. Potential employers, schools, and others can search your name
online and access parts of your digital footprint. If what they find paints you in a bad light, it
can affect your chances of being hired or accepted into colleges and universities.
How to create a positive digital footprint?
Be diverse.
Being active on many different social-media platforms will spread your exposure.
Beyond Twitter and Facebook, you could start your own blog (see page 278), contribute to a wiki
(see page 279), or post videos and audio podcasts (see page 510) on sites
like YouTube and Podomatic. (To help manage multiple presences, you can use a service
like HootSuite or TweetDeck. Or you can choose one spot to focus your posts and use an app to
crosspost to other locations. Facebook, Twitter, and WordPress all have apps for this purpose, for
example.)

Be creative.
Social media allow you to showcase your creativity. Consider publishing schoolwork or other
projects you are proud of. Create a digital résumé that features your talents and qualifications. Post
a one-minute video along with your college application if the university allows it.

Be articulate.
The way you communicate on social media will establish your online reputation. Strive to write
clear messages that avoid offensive or hurtful language and are free of embarrassing spelling and
grammar errors. This is particularly important when you are addressing a public audience.

Be friendly and social.

Simply being nice can go a long way toward building a positive digital presence. Compliment
your friends on social networks. Write constructive comments on other people’s blogs and promote
those people’s efforts. Seek out groups that share your interests, and just be friendly in general.

Be yourself.
Artificial words and actions are easy to spot. Use social media to broadcast your true
personality. People respond positively to genuineness.