My digital footprint could affect me positively or negatively. If it were to impact me positively I could gain the upper hand on a job interview or learning opportunity. For example if an employer looked at my footprint and saw that I was very involved in the community and had done or was working on multiple projects that interested them I  could have a better chance at getting that job then someone without a positive footprint. Unfortunately it can also do quite the opposite and actually lose you opportunities instead. An example of this is if you did something dumb in high school and posted it on social media and it showed up when your employer did a search on you. That post could ruin your first impression and lose any respect that you would’ve had before, there for lessening your chance of getting that opportunity. 

Three strategies that I can use to keep my digital foot print appropriate and safe are, 1 thinking twice before posting  something on social media, 2 making sure whatever I’m putting online is positively impacting me, and 3 before posting  online thinking of all the people who can see that post. By slowing down and thinking twice you can look at it from a different angle and maybe realize that it’s not something you should be posting or sharing online. 

One thing that I would make sure other students know is that everything they put online is out there forever and can be accessed easier than they think. I believe that students regret posting a lot of the things they share online because it’s so fast and easy to do so. Since it’s so fast people don’t have time to think about about whether it’s going to impact them negatively or positively. Educating students earlier on will hopefully prevent unnecessary or inappropriate posts that could lead to a negative digital footprint.

Photo Sources:

https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-foot-prints-on-sands-photo-723997/

https://www.pexels.com/photo/two-persons-hand-shake-1179804/

https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-a-woman-thinking-941555/

https://www.pexels.com/photo/abstract-blackboard-bulb-chalk-355948/