Weekly Report & Reflection blog post #1: Digital Footprints

Living in the Information Age, there is little choice in regards to if I “want” a digital footprint; I simply have to have one. Just like other digital natives, I come from a generation where participating in the online world and leaving tracks of my online activity are just a normal part of everyday life that can sometimes be overlooked. As long as I maintain a positive digital footprint, I do not mind having one.

Having a positive digital footprint means being conscious of what I post online and making mindful decisions about my settings and my privacy (Ainslie, 2009). By following certain netiquette rules, I maintain a positive digital footprint of myself. I use the same standards of behavior in both the virtual and real world and only post what I want others to see (Shea, 2011). For example, I am not going to upload pictures from a party on Linked In because that specific social networking platform is for professional purposes only. I must be aware of what I am posting and where exactly it is being posted in order to keep a footprint that is not damaging to my image because I am the only one with the power to control the online messages of myself (Barseghian, 2011).

Being a digital citizen, there is some basic knowledge that is required to keep a positive digital dossier. Someone unaware of netiquette rules or safety/privacy concerns while participating online could potentially become at risk. The Digital Age has introduced the online society to several different dangers including predators and phishing that have become increasingly present in the virtual world. This underlines a need to be knowledgeable and aware of the dangers that the internet brings in order to stay safe online.

I have only learned the basics of both digital learning and digital citizenship. I have been a digital learner since high school as I participated in various online courses since. I understand the rules and standards of learning online and I have mastered my personal time management skills in order to successfully complete all of my online courses. However, there is an overwhelming amount of information regarding digital citizenship that I still need to learn. Being a digital native can sometimes lead to naivety considering I never ask questions or critically think about my digital participation but instead just do it as if it is second nature to me.

After completing the Secondary Digital Driver’s License Exam, I was satisfied with my results as I got 17/20 (Ribble, 2011). Prior to taking the test, I estimated I would do very well and after totaling my mark I was not surprised at all with my results. Since I grew up in the Digital Age, I have a good sense of the basics of digital citizenship. Although I may know the basics, I am aware I do not know much more beyond that. Considering I got 3 of the questions wrong, the areas I am going to focus on for improvement during the new few weeks fall under the following elements: digital etiquette, digital commerce, and digital literacy.

After exploring digital footprints and digital citizenship, I have clearly noted (above) several different connections with the course resources and my explorations.