Your digital footprint
Belgrave Heights Christian School
Every time you post a photo, like a video, or search for something online, you leave a small piece of information behind. Put them all together, though, and they start to build a picture of who you are, what you like, and where you spend your time. That picture is your digital footprint. Most people never stop to think about theirs. It's worth doing though, because your footprint can stick around for years. The good news is that you have more control over it than you might expect.
What is a digital footprint?
Your digital footprint is the record of everything you do online. Some of it you share on purpose. A lot of it is collected quietly in the background, without you really noticing.
Who can see it?
The honest answer is - probably more people than you think.
Why it matters for your future
None of this is meant to scare you off the internet. A digital footprint isn't a bad thing in itself. In fact, it can work in your favour.Think about a student who shares their photography on a public page, or posts updates about a website they're building. When they apply for a course, a job or a volunteering role, they can point to real examples of what they can do. Their footprint shows their skills as well as a little bit about themselves.The flip side is that context gets lost online. A joke that made sense to your mates at 14 might read very differently to a stranger looking at it four years later. They don't know you, the moment or the tone. All they see is the words on the screen. So the goal isn't to disappear. It's to make sure that when someone looks you up, what they find is something you're comfortable with.
70% of employers said they use social networking sites to research job applicants during hiring process and 54% of companies admitted to eliminating a candidate based on their social media feed.