In order to maintain a positive digital footprint, it is important to think before you post. Never upload or send anything that’s rude, offensive, or personal on the internet. Once you make a post online, it no longer belongs to you. Anyone can view or save what you post. Your parents, friends, teachers, anyone can see your social media. It’s recommended to not have any conversations with people you do not know online. It’s especially important to not tell anyone you’ve met online your personal information or opinions. There have been many times minors online have been blackmailed with the threat of a photo, post, or comment they’ve made being released. If you end up in a situation like this, do not interact and tell a trusted adult. A bad digital footprint could result in a lost job opportunity or having an application to university denied. Your online activity reflects you, maintain a positive digital footprint to protect your reputation and future opportunities. 

Social media and technology, though it has become an essential part of our world, can be very negative and dangerous, especially to minors. The internet is full of bullies and dangerous people. Being bullied or harassed online is unfortunately common. Many people will experience cyberbullying to some degree. People from your real life could come online to bully or just strangers who know nothing about you. Even if the bullying is through a screen, it can still be very hurtful and damaging to one’s mental health. The internet is the home of harmful beauty standards and opinions. Being young and impressionable, you can be manipulated to believe highly edited photos of people online are how they look in real life. Eating disorder culture is heavily glamorized by the media, any young person could come across these posts and believe they need to lose weight to be accepted. Beauty standards online constantly fluctuate. It can be very confusing and overwhelming to minors online. 

There have been many cases of harmful people online getting in contact with young people through lies or manipulation. When your brain isn’t fully developed it’s easy to be manipulated online. People can lie about who they truly are to get something from a young person online. This is why it’s recommended to keep a private social media account, to avoid getting into any conversations with dangerous people. Never message anyone you don’t know in real life, even if you believe it’s someone your age.  

To use your devices and social media in a safe way there are some important tips every teenager and kid should know. First, all social media and websites you use should be approved by a parent or guardian. Your parents know best, especially when it comes to your safety. Take time to educate yourself on social media and the potential dangers of it. Don’t message any strangers online. This could result in bullying, harassment, or any other kind of dangerous situation. If for any reason you do begin contacting a stranger and things begin to seem off, block the account. Never upload or send anyone a post saying something offensive or rude. As well as being mindful of your digital footprint, a hurtful comment to someone may not seem like a big deal, but it could be very damaging to someone mentally. Keep your private information offline as it could be used to harm you in the future. Only watch age-appropriate content and report anything you think could be harmful for other young people on the internet to see. Remember to stay mindful and alert while using social media.