Creating a Positive and Safe Digital Footprint

The internet can be a very useful place but also a very dangerous one. It’s important that everyone that uses it knows how to use it properly and protect themselves. No matter where and what you share online, anyone can find it, and anyone can see it. This may cause problems in your future. For example, if someone were to hire you, most of the time they’d run a background check on you, and this most likely includes searching you up online. If they see something they don’t like, for example, a video of you getting really drunk at a party and then swearing at a bunch of people, then there is a low chance of you getting that job. Plus take a moment to think about how many people would see that video. It’s not just your future employers, your parents could see it, your teachers, and even your friends. Maybe at the time you might be okay with them seeing it, but you need to think about your future and how it could negatively affect you. So how can you stay safe online? Well first off you should always keep your personal accounts private. This way it limits who can see your posts. Make sure you only let people you know, and trust follow you. Remember that they can still see your posts. But what if you want a public account to share your art or an account to teach people simple math hacks for example? Then sure you can have those accounts public but try not to put your personal information in them. Try to avoid stuff like putting your real name, your birthday, your address, the city you live in, your school or work, pictures of yourself, and any other personal information. Here are some things you shouldn’t post even if your account is public: Nudes (One nobody wants to see those, two it’s against most apps rules, three it’s illegal to post/send them if you’re under 18 and it’s illegal to send then to someone under 18 no matter how old you are.), offensive stuff (For example, do not tweet something racist, homophobic, or ableist. Think: if you wouldn’t say it in real life then don’t say it from behind a screen. This also means do not bully people and do not even say this stuff as a joke. It might not be a joke to everyone.), anything illegal or that could get you in trouble (First off you shouldn’t be doing illegal stuff but even if you do it, please don’t post it online. It’s an extremely stupid move and you have a way higher chance of getting caught. I know it might seem cool and fun to post that video of you and your friends trashing someone’s car. But it’s not going to be cool and fun when you and your friends end up in jail.) One last tip I have is to always think before you post. Think about how it could affect you or others. Sure, it might make you popular or look “cool” but is it worth it? Thank you for reading my paragraph about why internet safety is important and how you can stay safe online.  

The programs I used were Word Art and Microsoft Word.

Work Cited

(Most of this stuff I came up with from memory, but I have read the cites below and most likely based my info off them) 

Ministry of Education and Child Care. (2022, June 30). Erase: Online safety. Province of British Columbia. Retrieved October 3, 2022, from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/erase/online-safety 
Ben-Joseph, E. P. (Ed.). (2022, August). Protecting your online identity and reputation (for teens) – nemours kidshealth. KidsHealth. Retrieved October 3, 2022, from https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/online-id.html 
What every teen needs to know about their digital footprint. Net Nanny. (2022, October 4). Retrieved October 3, 2022, from https://www.netnanny.com/blog/what-every-teen-needs-to-know-about-their-digital-footprint/ 
How to protect your digital footprint. Morgan Stanley. (n.d.). Retrieved October 3, 2022, from https://www.morganstanley.com/articles/digital-footprint-protection-strategies 

Personal/Social Competency Reflection

I understand the negative and positive effects of posting on the internet. On the positive side he can help me connect with others. On the other hand, it can affect me negatively such the stuff I post online will always be there even if I delete it. 

I will try to spend most of my time online doing something productive instead of just scrolling through social media aimlessly. An example of this could be creating a digital art piece or researching a topic I am interested in.  

Some strategies I have for maintaining a healthy and safe experience online include noting putting any personal information on my public accounts, following the rules of apps I use, not posting anything offensive or illegal on any sites, and being mindful that anyone can see my posts and how that may affect them or me.