Digital footprints are the trails of data you leave behind when you use the Internet and post on social media. It is essential to aware of your own digital footprint and take control of your online image, including what you post on social media accounts, open forums, comments, ratings and anywhere online where you are actively engaged. Everything you do online can leave a trace, so you need to be mindful of what’s out there.
Here are 5 tips for managing your digital footprint:
1. Use privacy settings.
Taking time to manage your privacy settings is one of the best things you can do to protect your online image. Be sure to control who can see your posts and who you add as friends and followers. The comments and pictures that other people post can be almost as detrimental to your reputation as what you post yourself.
2. Don’t overshare.
Be careful about what information you share with others, including where you work, live and socialize. Protect both your identity and your whereabouts at any given time for safety by turning off location settings. Sometimes people feel the need to ‘vent’ online, but this is not the platform to be heard. Reach out to a friend and avoid saying or doing things online that you may regret later.
3. Google yourself.
You can’t fix what you don’t know. If you Google yourself then you will get a sense of what others can see and learn about you. Add, delete, and remove any information it is not in line with the values and the image that you want to portray (especially to potential employers!).
4. Continually update social media to represent who you are today.
Our image is constantly changing so our online personna should also be reflective of who we are. Social media can actually be a great tool to reinvent yourself. Keep your profile and feed up-to-date. Be sure to include recent achievements and accomplishments, and delete anything that is not in line with your current image.
5. Remember what goes out there stays out there. Forever.
It’s tough to remember that a digital footprint stays ‘out there’ forever, even after content is deleted. Every time we accept new app policies we are waiving our rights and granting permission to tech companies to gain control over what we put online. Think twice before adding to your digital footprint.
