New First Impression

It is amazing to think about how life has changed in the last 10-15 years.  When I was in school my digital footprint was not something I thought about and really hadn’t even heard about (granted I graduated from high school in 2002 which I don’t think is that long ago).   There are so many benefits for living in this digital age, access to information 24/7, connecting with people across the globe, acquiring knowledge, fostering creativity, etc. The advances of technology have happened relatively rapidly not allowing for much time to think about some of the consequences of our online activity.  One needs to realize that with every click we leave a trail of data and our footprints, some small and some big, of what we do online- also known as our digital footprint. Even with all the benefits of the internet, we need to be mindful of what we do and communicate online. Our digital footprint is a story of us, it can now serve as the first impression that others have of us even if we have never met them directly.  How do we want future employers, parents, students, and people to perceive us individually? This is a question that I think everyone should take the time to think about and address as we continue to increase our online communications and activity.

In the present day, we now see that news, both good and bad, can travel faster and further than before.  This shouldn’t scare people in sharing news, knowledge, or in making connections online and having a social presence, just that each person should be mindful of what they are doing.  We need to operate with the mindset that what we do online cannot be taken back or removed, certain “footprints” can become permanent or hard to hide, while other times we can erase our “footprints”.  It is wise to be preventative and mindful before we make our tracks.

Another aspect to our digital footprint is that it isn’t just the individual person that controls their own data, but other individuals can affect each person’s digital footprint within a network by sharing, copying, reposting information, etc.  It is a conversation that people should have with one another and be aware of, what we do and share online can impact us directly as well as others in our circle.

As an exercise to this topic, I checked to see what my own digital footprint revealed.  I searched multiple names that I could possibly be identified under and I wasn’t too surprised on what I found.  Some of these findings included my Facebook profile, an old Google Classroom calendar, my school image, and a science journal I was mentioned in.  In my searches, many Bedke’s popped up since many are teachers or are in public service in some realm. I also discovered that there is another Katie Bedke that I actually do not know.  This experience made me relook at my privacy settings within my social media apps. It also initiated the process of me really thinking about my social presence and my plan going forward on how I want to be viewed.

So far I have conducted myself in a manner of not really sharing any information online.  When I first started teaching, I felt like the recommendations were to have a very minimal online social presence.  However, as I continue my work through the Educational Technology program I feel that I am limiting myself either in gaining access to content, sharing content and knowledge, and in creating a story of myself (what I do or who I am) that I could share in seeking future professional opportunities.   I also think that schools and organizations are also realizing that online tools can be greatly beneficial for teachers and students when used and managed appropriately.

In conclusion, our online social networks can be very powerful to each of our lives- both personally and professionally.  I view social media as a powerful tool in creating, disbursing, connecting, and retrieving information and knowledge. At times it may seem like a burden to think about or deal with our digital footprints, but I think it is definitely irresponsible not too.  What will your digital path say about you- today, tomorrow or in 10 years?

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