Think Before You Post... Leave A Good Digital Footprint

“A friend of mine was tagged in a picture drinking beer, it actually got her in trouble when she applied for a summer job,” states a person from the video, Facebook, YouTube, Texting: Rules of the Road for Kids. During the past laptop Bootcamp lessons, we have been learning about how you have to think before you post, because you may regret it later on. I learned that if you post the wrong things, it can harm you, and also the other people involved in the situation. To avoid any conflict, we were taught a couple of rules; protect your privacy, know that nothing is private online, assume everyone is watching, maintain a good reputation, treat others as you want to be treated, and follow the SAS Core Values.

Protecting your privacy is very important to know when you are on the internet, posting, and even in a chat room! It is unnecessary and unsafe to add personal information like your phone number, address, etc. This also applies to ‘know that nothing is private online’, because anyone can know and find out what you posted. “Anything you say or do, can be copied, pasted, and sent to gazillions of people, without your permission,” says a teenager from a Common Sense Media video. Even if the conversation or post is private it can still be forwarded and sent on to anybody when it’s online. Also, if you assume everyone is watching, there wouldn’t be situations where people have copied and pasted your work when you didn’t want to be public, because if you assume everyone is watching, you’d be more cautious of what you put online.

Maintaining a good reputation means people sees you as a good person and writer, and having a good reputation. Keeping a good reputation can also be the same as “treat other as you want to be treated” (or the Golden Rule), because everyone will see you as a good and appropriate person instead of a bad one. Following the Core Values is also important. If you follow the SAS Core Values; respect, responsibility, honesty, fairness, and compassion, you probably won’t have any online problems.

So next time you put something online, think about the positive digital footprint you should leave for the world to see.

Sources: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ransomtech/5633995909/