During the last few weeks I have been learning a lot about digital footprints and what an impact the internet can make on our personal lives into the future or even right now.

Imagine you’re just graduating and trying to get into college. You find one you like, read what they’re looking for, and it basically sounds like they’re looking exactly for you! Of course you apply, knowing without a doubt you’re totally going to get accepted, because, well, how can you not? So you wait. . . And wait. . . And when you finally get your reply you rip open the letter, ready to read the greatly anticipated “Accepted”, but frown when instead you read “We regret to inform you. . .” You were right. You were exactly what they wanted. You had the good grades, the motivation, you’ve made some questionable decisions in the past, they were so long ago that you’ve forgotten about them. But the internet hasn’t. All the college interviewer had to do was look up your name.

The internet can be a great thing! It can be a place to interact, to socialize online or to talk to far friends or relatives you might not be able to see in person, but even though the internet can do great thing, the internet can also do a lot of bad things, so you have to watch out. That twitter post you made last year? Your future employer could find it in second just by looking up your name. That photo your friend took of you at that party and posted without you knowing? Available for everyone at your school to see, and that’s just once someone posts it. All your friends can share that post, or like it, or comment on it. It all brings your post back up to the top of the page. Do you think your parents and distant family will be proud of that?

 

They’re not kidding when they say this stuff is on the internet forever, really, and it’s all stored, saved, and kept in the form of your digital footprint, just go ahead and look up your name, what is the first thing that comes up? Regardless of if it’s good or bad, here are so safe strategies to keep sure what you’re posting now isn’t something you’ll regret later.

 

 

 

1. T.H.I.N.K.

Is it True?

Is it Helpful?

Is it Inspirational?

Is it Necessary?

Is it Kind?

 

It’s probably a cheesy poster we’ve all seen before and just consider it “That annoying anti-bullying poster, but it actually works. If the answer to all these questions is YES then you can probably go on right ahead and post it, worry-free about possible regret in the future.

2. The Grandma Strategy:

Some people might already know this strategy or are able to guess just from the title, but there will be others who are thinking “What the heck is the grandma strategy?” Basically, that text, or that comment, or Tweet, or Facebook post, or whatever. That thing you were about to post, would you still post it if your grandmother was watching you over your shoulder? If your answer is no, then you might want to think about refining your decisions.

You really should be careful with your life online, more than we think we already are. Even beyond embarrassing photos and regretted posts over your bad spelling from grade six. It’s important that we’re keeping ourselves aware and more safe, and with such a big thing as the internet around now, why aren’t we using the internet more to broadcast it? We have posters and bulletin boards of course, but barely anyone uses them anymore. To protect ourselves from the internet what else can we use. . .

but the internet?