Digital footprint and online reputation
Every post you make online contributes to your digital footprint. You are building your online reputation. More and more, people will look up what they find about you online before, for example, hiring you for a job. You wouldn’t want a hateful comment or an embarrassing video you posted years ago to compromise your future! Make sure you present your best self on social media, just as you strive to do when you leave your home.
Safety first
Social media allows for many wonderful things. However, it is also a place where malicious people take advantage of careless users. To ensure your safety, reveal as little personal information as possible on your social media and set your privacy settings carefully on each app. Default settings usually allow a larger number of strangers to access your accounts, so customize them. Also, be cautious not to reveal your address with a photo of your house and do not make your geolocation accessible to everyone. While complete anonymity does not exist on social media, you can try to be as anonymous as possible.
Before posting
Before posting on social media, ask yourself:
- Am I keeping information secret that could allow a stranger to identify me (e.g., my phone number, email address, home address, information about my school)?
- Would I dare to say or do the same thing directly in front of the person?
- Am I comfortable with my family, teacher, or future employer seeing this post?
- Do I want to transmit a hateful, doubtful, or derogatory message?
- Will I be comfortable with this post in a few years?
If you answered no to any of these questions, simply do not post your message, photo, or video. This will save you trouble, but most importantly, it will positively contribute to your digital footprint.