As it turns out, our moms were right: the things we post and the information we give online can, in fact, come back to haunt us.
Every time we interact with any online tool — making an online purchase, creating a social media account, visiting a certain webpage, or doing practically anything else on the Internet — we form what is known as our “digital footprints.” Your digital footprint can be simply defined as a record of all your online activity. This includes data collected by website trackers and cookies as well as information that you choose to give online, such as social media posts.Â
Having a digital footprint isn’t inherently bad. In fact, in our modern and increasingly digitized society, it’s virtually impossible to avoid having one. However, they can vary in size and information type. If you keep your accounts private, browse the Internet anonymously, and are generally careful about giving away personal information, your footprint will be relatively small and non-incriminating. But the more accounts you create and the more open you become with your personal life online, the more your digital footprint will grow.
One reason it’s important for college students to understand our digital footprints is that a negative digital footprint can impact our ability to secure a job or admission to grad school. Chris Southerland Jr., a Gen Z cybersecurity expert, explains that investigating a prospective employee’s online presence has become a common practice in the corporate world.
Companies can now use thousands of tools to perform background checks on potential job candidates. For example, the program Mosint finds online accounts associated with a particular email address, and the program Nexfil finds online accounts under a specific username. With the rapid advent of more artificial intelligence technologies, the process of researching job candidates will become even simpler and easier.
But what information are these companies looking for in particular? In a focus group conducted by marketing firm The Creative Group, business executives shared the information that they had found most problematic or distasteful when stalking potential employees online.
The biggest “red flags” included arguing on social media, badmouthing previous employers, posting embarrassing party photos, excessively using profanity, and going by unprofessional usernames. Students looking to enter the workforce should be advised to not engage in any of this behavior online.
But employers are not the only ones checking our digital footprints. One in four college admissions counselors confess to checking prospective students’ social media accounts as a factor in their admissions decisions. If their accounts aren’t already private, students interested in attending grad school should view their social media as an extension of their application.
Luckily, however, your digital footprint has the ability to help you as much as it has the ability to harm you. Some college admissions counselors reported being impressed by students’ social media accounts, claiming that they added a layer of authenticity and character untold by an applicant’s GPA and test scores. Online accounts can be a great way to celebrate your accomplishments and showcase your personality to improve your chances of being hired or accepted somewhere.Â
If you’re still concerned about your digital footprint, you may be relieved to hear that there are ways to reduce it. One of the simplest is to delete old or inactive accounts for websites and social media platforms. You can also choose to keep your current accounts private. Be cautious when visiting new websites and disclosing potentially sensitive information such as your full name and family history.
Overall, your digital footprint is simply a representation of yourself shown through your online activity. As long as you are thoughtful about which parts of yourself you choose to share, you are on your way to a successful career and life.
Southerland Jr. even admitted that he wasn’t particularly stressed about his online presence, stating that there are ways to further “lock down” his online identity, such as using different names, profile pictures, and email addresses. But these precautions are rarely necessary as long as someone uses social media sensibly and keeps good track of their online accounts.
So in conclusion, listen to your mom’s advice on being careful what you do and say on the Internet. As long as you exercise just a bit of care and common sense, you’re sure to have a small and positive digital footprint.