Remember those embarrassing birthday pictures you posted on Instagram in 2015? Or the video of you lip syncing to a song on what used to be Musical.ly?
If you thought you deleted these before anyone saw them, you are very wrong.
Digital footprints are the trail of data that you leave behind when using the internet. It includes websites you visit, posts you make, emails you send and information you submit.
Digital footprints are a privacy concern because companies, attackers and random people have access to everything you share online.
For example, companies do in-depth background searches into an applicant’s internet history to see how they present themselves before hiring them.
Today, employers have access to more information now than ever because of social media.
All they have to do is type your name into the search engine and wait for the results. It won’t take long to have access to nearly everything you’ve ever put online.
Your digital footprint should have zero impact on whether or not a job hires you because your personal life and professional life are two separate things.
New South Wales Government’s article “Leaving a Digital Footprint” says, “Your digital footprint can have a lasting impact on your reputation, relationships and employment opportunities (both positive and negative).”
When people are with their friends, they let loose and have fun.
You should not be penalized for wanting to share your adventures or fun outings with others.
People should not be forced to make fake Instagram accounts that lie about who they are just so that they can get a job or be respected by others in the community.
Also, companies should not be looking up what you post in your spare time. It shouldn’t matter what you do when you are off the clock. What really matters is how you present yourself in person and at work.
An employer can tell right away from an interview if you will do your job without causing any issues. I don’t quite get what your social media presence has to do with your job performance.
Everyone at some point in their lives is young, immature and posts something they shouldn’t. Once you like, share or post something on social media, good or bad, it is there forever.
“As soon as you go online, you start creating a trail of information about yourself,” eSafety Commissioner’s article “Your digital footprint” said. “Your digital footprint[…] shapes what people will think of you, both now and in the future.”
Employers should not have the right to turn you away based on what you post.
