Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself!

In the spirit of the new year and renewal, let's talk about our online presence. I know that everyone has heard of their digital footprint, but have you heard of your digital shadow? Your digital shadow is what is created when other people post images and other media that include you, even if they don't tag you in the image or media.

If you are curious about what others can see about you, Google yourself. Go ahead. Hopefully, there are no big surprises! In the spirit of fairness, here is a screenshot of what appears when I Google myself.

So, nothing shocking. However, you'll see that my employment history follows me. Also, not all of the images that include me were posted by me. Further, a simple Google search tells you what social media I'm most active on.

As we start 2018, let's clean up the old and start fresh. Here are some simple steps to clean-up your digital presence and keep it clean.

1. Search yourself online. If someone has posted something about you that you are not happy about ask them to take it down. If that doesn't produce results you can contact the site administrator and ask them to remove unwanted content.
2. Check your privacy settings. You should check these often as social media sites tend to change these settings frequently, often without notice. Make sure you understand the settings so you know exactly what you are sharing with whom.
3. Use strong passwords. Use different passwords for different sites and don't write them down. Longer passwords with a combination of numbers and symbols are stronger. If you think it may be difficult to remember all of your passwords try using passphrases or use a password management app like LastPass or 1Password.
4. Update the software on all of your devices and computers. Viruses, malware, and spyware can do very bad things to your computers and devices and leave you open to hacking. Keeping them updated helps prevent this from happening.
5. Maintain your mobile devices. Be sure you understand how your devices work and set passwords, codes, or patterns that prevent others from accessing them. Review apps that you use and double check their information-sharing policies. Delete apps that you don't use!
6. Think before you post. Remember that your digital footprint is more than the information people can find, it also reflects your interactions on the web. Be sure that anything you post is something you will be happy others will see or is information you are ok with others knowing about you.
7. Use your online presence as a force for good. Build a positive reputation for yourself and be an inspiration to others. Blog about your passion, start a fundraising campaign for your favorite charity, post about good things happening in your community.

If you are interested in learning more about maintaining a positive digital presence, I recommend checking out the resources at the Family Online Safety Institute, or FOSI. They also have some great tips for digital parenting.

If you are looking for resources to teach students about maintaining a positive and safe online presence try Be Internet Awesome.

P.S.-These steps help educators adhere to ISTE Standards for Educators (2017) 3d: Educators model and promote management of personal data and digital identity and protect student data privacy. Students using these steps are addressing ISTE Standards for Students (2016) 2a: Students cultivate and manage their digital identity and reputation and are aware of the permanence of their actions in the digital world.