This tip is provided by the Centre for Enhancing Learning through Technology (CELT).
When we interact with the internet we leave a trail of our actions known as our digital legacy or digital footprint. It is becoming increasingly important to understand how others might build a picture of us based on our digital legacy and how this may affect our real life opportunities and circumstance.
For example, prospective employers routinely search for candidates and review their digital footprint when making decisions about recruitment. Also, companies will use your digital footprint to build a profile of you for marketing purposes and social networks may use this information to target content. The danger is that our digital legacy is only a snapshot of our personality and others may make assumptions based on one dodgy Tweet but once it’s sent the damage is done.
Our advice is to be careful and take the time to understand how your data and interactions may be shared by reading terms and conditions and privacy notices. Also, be cautious when using social networks as becoming friends with somebody who you may not know will create an association with them which may cast a shadow on you.