Digital Footprint

            We all know the term digital footprint but know exactly what goes into that footprint could surprise you. In doing research into the exact definition of a digital footprint I found some fascinating information in the attached article. The article written by Sarah Perez, talks about the idea of the normal digital footprint that we think of including; our social network profiles, websites, blogs, photos or videos that we upload or share online, as well as newspaper mentions or articles (Perez, 2008). These are the items that I assumed were part of my digital footprint. For me this part of my digital footprint contains 2 social media accounts, a couple of websites, a few blogs, and photos and videos I have uploaded to my social media accounts. I send at least 20 emails a day as well as searching the internet for classes and lessons as well as worksheets or activities to use in class. I would say my footprint is pretty large but according to the article this represents less than half of my digital footprint!

            According to the article the other part of my digital footprint comes from my “digital shadow” (Perez, 2008). Your digital shadow includes all the things we do online that we do not think about what we are doing. This includes surveillance camera footage, bank records, telephone records, credit card purchases, and more (Perez, 2008). When thinking about all this information my digital footprint at least doubled in size. I do quite a bit of shopping online as well as banking online. All my photos, videos and other documents from my phone are backed up to the cloud and that also impacts the size of my footprint. There are so many more things that go into my personal digital footprint that I was not even thinking about. These are major thoughts that need to be considered by digital users of all ages.

            Digital footprint should be a major component to the lessons we teach individuals about digital citizenship. The idea that we are constantly being tracked by our digital usage is a thought process that should be always on our minds. Digital citizenship to me is about teaching individuals to think before they post something online. Individuals also need to be able to critically think about problems and be willing to work with people from all over the world to solve those problems (Hughes, 2006). Individuals need to be taught the skills to be productive digital citizens from an early age (Hughes, 2006). Discussing what it takes to be a global citizen even before individuals become global citizens and even more important global digital citizens will instill in them the idea that the information is important. If from an early age individuals are taught the importance of digital citizenship either through direct instruction or indirect then as the individuals get older and are in school then teaching the students will be more about building upon the foundation to make truly globally aware digital citizens. It is important as we send students out into this globally connected world that our students are aware of not only their digital footprint but also their citizenship.

Hughes, C. (2006). Education for Global Citizenship: A Guide for Schools. United Kingdom: Oxfam.

Perez, S. (2008, March 24). Calculate Your "Digital Footprint" with New Tool from EMC.