There was a particular tweet that went viral a few months back. It was a about a celebrity who posted something carelessly many years back. Then fastforward to a few months ago, she had an issue with another celebrity online, and her past tweet was dug out. It was really a very unwholesome tweet. This created a major problem in her career, family life, and even her marriage. What she posted online many years ago came back to haunt her. She may have even forgotten that she made that tweet, but the Internet never forgets. This is why you have to be careful about your digital footprint and what you put out online.
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In this digital age era, almost everything that people do online will almost certainly leave a trace. It may be a social media post, a comment, picture, video, blog, online profile, etc. All these are part of what is regarded as digital footprint. Simply put; a digital footprint is a collection of data or information about someone that exists because of their activities online. A lot of people may not know, but the truth still remains that your digital footprint can change a lot of things about you in ways you may never expect; like opportunities, reputation, relationships, and even your future successes.
One of the reasons why digital footprint matters a lot is that it contributes to your reputation. You will agree with me that when you have gone through someone's tweet for example, or their social media post, it will influence how you see them. In the past, people majorly make judgement based on face-to-face interactions. But in this era, even from virtual interactions, and from what they put up online, you will see yourself making judgement about others. The information about someone that you see online can influence your perception of people's career, character, and even their professionalism.
I have read about a case where a relationship was called off because the man stumbled on an illicit picture of her supposed fiancee that she posted a few years back. It was even what prompted him to do a couple of backgrounds checks, and he realised that she had a very dark past, which he thinks that she is still living it. All these were because of her digital footprint. The truth is that, not everything should find its way online. No matter how you feel, what you believe, or under any circumstances, there are things about you that must never find its way to online. A friend once said that "whatever you put on the net stays there permanently." What he was trying to say is that you should be cautious and careful about your digital footprint.
What some people do not realise is that digital footprint plays a significant role in personal branding. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, what you put online will contribute to how other people will see you, and they will judge you as that. The people who constantly share positive things, like motivational pieces, educational contents, professional achievements, and positive contributions will often build strong personal brands. Your online presence is generally perceived as an extension of your true self, and a reflection of your values, interests, and expertise.
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A very important factor of digital footprint is permanence. A lot of people think that if they delete a post or a content from a social media account, for example, that it is gone completely. But what they fail to realise is that the content can be copied, duplicated, transferred, shared, archived, or even saved before they even try to delete it. Imagine posting the wrong thing out of anger, frustration, or poor judgement, and it becomes accessible even after the emotions have calmed. Or what if the post falls into the wrong hands and it comes back to haunt you in the future? When you think of these things, you will know what to send online.
In order to manage your digital footprint, you need intentionality. Before you post anything online, you need to ask yourself if what you are about to post will reflect the image you want others to create of you in their mind. Do not post things simply because you feel you can, or simply out of emotions, but because it is the right thing to do. This is so that your future will not be hurt by your actions of today.
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