Will my Digital Footprint really last a lifetime?
- sarahcunneen11
- Mar 18, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 22, 2021
There is a question we have on our minds each time we look at our smartphones, share a post, update our status or surf the web – is my digital footprint really permanent and how will it affect my life? This driving question asks us to understand and analyse the traceable content we view and create online, all which makes up our digital footprints.
In an era of constant technological change, there are concerns around our digital culture and it is important to review the development of a digital footprint and how it can affect us in many different ways.
We cannot deny in this day and age, having an online presence is unavoidable. We all have access to content online for research, entertainment, and communication (Sartor, 2020). Information and resources that cover every aspect of the world’s events is stored online. With all the knowledge of the world being accessible in many ways, I believe it is inevitable that our digital footprints will last a lifetime. So, the next question is, is the content you or I publish online really making much of a difference to the World Wide Web in this era of growing technology?
We can address this from multiple points of view. For example, there are growing concerns around the danger technology poses to children in relation to psychological effect, as well as security, privacy and safety (Buchanan, Southgate, Smith, 2019). Whereas on the other hand, we understand that use of technology is an everyday task and schools are now including technological skills in the curriculum, understanding that this knowledge will be needed for a child’s future.
When doing further research, I found a lot of sources providing viewpoints and information on how to help manage our younger generations’ online presence. Given that children of today are online from a young age, there is growing concern around the ‘future impact of the digital footprints they are currently generating’ (Buchanan, Southgate, Smith, Murray, et al. 2017, p. 275). While there are many written perspectives based around the concerns, we can take the position that we construct our own lives and that we contribute to society around us (Buchanan, Southgate, Smith, Murray, et al. 2017) through use of technology and the construction of our digital footprints.
If we consider Moorefield-Lang’s (2020) research entitled Learners’ Legacies as Digital Citizens, she asks us to recognise the legacies we leave online and how important it should be in relation to our digital footprints. We are taught how to search and evaluate information online (Moorefield-Lang, 2020), and are made aware of the risks and danger of our online presence (Buchanan, Southgate, Smith, 2019), and I agree that we should be encouraged to consider the lives we live online in a positive light.
Before addressing this question, the term Digital Footprint intimidated me. It seemed to be depicted in a way that seemed negative and risky. Though, through asking ourselves these questions, I think we can look at it through a positive lens and understand that we are privileged to be able to develop a digital legacy for ourselves in this digital age (Weaver and Gahegan, 2019).
Media Supplied by Wix, 2021
Reference List
Buchanan, R., Southgate, E., & Smith, S. P. (2019). “The Whole World’s Watching Really”:
Parental and Educator Perspectives on Managing Children’s Digital Lives. Global Studies of Childhood, 9(2), 167-180. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2043610619846351
Buchanan, R., Southgate, E., Smith, S. P., Murray, T., & Noble, B. (2017). Post No Photos,
Leave No Trace: Children’s Digital Footprint Management Strategies. E-Learning and Digital Media, 14(5), 275-290. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2042753017751711
Davis, A. (2014). Blogging as Pedagogy: Facilitate Learning.
Gibbs, G. (1988). Learning by Doing: A Guide to Teaching and Learning Methods. Oxford:
Oxford Further Education Unit. https://hhs.hud.ac.uk/lqsu/Sessionsforall/supp/Gibbs%201988%20reflective%20cycle.pdf
Moorefield-Lang, H. (2020). Learners’ Legacies as Digital Citizens. Knowledge Quest, 49(1),
Sartor, V. (2020). Digital Age Pedagogy: Easily Enhance Your Teaching Practice with
Technology. English Teaching Forum, 58(3), 2–9. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1274712
Weaver, S. D., & Gahegan, M. (2007). Constructing, Visualizing, and Analyzing A
Digital Footprint. Geographical Review, 97(3) 324-350. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1931-0846.2007.tb00509.x
Dear Sarah,
I really enjoyed reading through your article and your thoughts on how a person’s digital footprint can be viewed through a positive lens. I found it very interesting that as you initially found the term ‘digital footprint’ daunting, but then went on to find a positive outlook. I also really liked how you showed the impact of our digital footprints in our everyday lives.
One aspect to include in your blog post that I think would benefit your viewpoint, would be to incorporate how students can use technology safely and to create a positive digital footprint. By implementing this into your post, it can encourage future readers (possibly teachers) to educate students to be safe online.
Martin et…
Sarah, overall a well written blog post, but here are some things you could think about including or change for next time. To make the post easier to read and to keep the reader's attention, don't have the words too close, have them more spaced out, as well as adding pictures/ resources can create the post to be more eye-catching. You show great referencing and ideas based on research which is great for the reader to get a better understanding. So keep showing what you have found in different articles and your own research. I would like to see a better layout to make it more eye catching and easier to read, as well as making sure to follow the…