Final Blog Post
The invention of the internet and social media marked a major turning point in our society. It brought convenience and connection, as it allowed for quick access to all the information and people you could need. While many see the internet for all the benefits it brought to our society many overlooks or fail to see the consequences it can bring about. Speaking for myself I often forget to remember all the consequences that the internet brings especially on social media. Things such as your online footprint, sensitive information, misinterpretations, and many more are products of misuse or misunderstanding of the internet and all it contains.
In my personal situation, I am often online, whether it's scrolling through social media or working on projects for my classes I would say I spend a large portion of my life online. Due to this, I believe my digital footprint is rather large. A digital footprint is a trail of data you create when using the internet, and there are two different types of digital footprints active which is data you intentionally submit and passive which you unintentionally leave behind. Digital footprints are a part of the internet no one can escape but be mindful of what you leave behind can be a very good practice. There are a variety of ways to manage your digital footprint. A couple examples are by googling yourself in order to see what you can find that you may not expect. Another tip is to give some sort of reading or skim to the terms and conditions, this can give you at least the smallest idea of what you are agreeing to when you sign up. One last tip is to use privacy settings to help secure your information. These are just a few tips to manage your digital footprint. While digital footprints can be daunting though it is good to know that you can manage it all to stay safe online.
When it comes to social media I use most of the popular sites such as tik tok, Instagram, Snapchat, and vsco. When it comes to my social media sites I use some sites more than others. I tend to use Snapchat and tik tok the most. I will make tik toks every so often but I am usually just scrolling through but with Snapchat, I am answering my friends periodically throughout the day. When it comes to what I choose to put on my social media I am on the cautious side. I tend to post very little on my Instagram and on my Snapchat story. I also give very little information about myself out on my social media. One place you look for this information is Instagram bios. Many people use their bios to give their followers a little bit about them. My bio has very little in it. I have my college, my sorority, and my Snapchat. I choose to not put my hometown or anything else about me in my bio. I also choose to not have anything linked within my social media. I do all this in an effort to keep as much privacy as I can in an environment that often lacks privacy. I have been able to learn a lot more about these issues and have begun to implement new precautions. I have learned that using the same password on multiple sites can be a very bad idea as it makes it easier for hackers to gain access to all your accounts. I have now begun to use different passwords for each site to keep my information safe.
My online privacy has become of increased concern to me. I have been able to learn that over time I have given more information about myself than I would like to admit. I give out my email, phone number, name, my date of birth, and gender alone every time I sign up for a new site or social media. That information alone allows for the invasion of your privacy not even mentioning other information you give without knowing it. During our class, I have developed a better understanding of how just scrolling through tik tok allows for them to gather information about what I like watching and what I don’t. Overall I have found that while technology brings many positive aspects to our society it also brings many scary consequences. Over time everyone needs to learn to be cautious online and think before they post. If people can do that people can stay safe online.
Sources:
https://techterms.com/definition/digital_footprint
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