Driving Question 1: Digital Footprints

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DRIVING QUESTION ONE: Will my digital footprint really last a lifetime? 

The big question on every person's mind when talking about leaving a digital footprint is; is it really there for life? Well, in today's evolving technological dependent society this question needs to be answered for the safety of digital natives like ourselves and the digital immigrants such as the older generation. According to (Hewson, 2013) a digital footprint is described as a person's online activities, which includes the use of social media forums. Technology is apart of everyday life in today's modernized society, so ensuring that understanding the importance of how everything you do on technology will result in a digital footprint. 

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P_gj3oRn8s

A digital footprint is an element of technology that is overlooked. I believe that there is a hole in education about digital footprints and consequences that can occur due to a lack of knowledge. We continuously see children especially in the age bracket from thirteen to eighteen have issues with bullying and pornographic situations. These situations could have been potentially prevented if the education of digital footprints lasting forever had been educated before accessing technology and social media platforms.  

In research conducted by (McDermott, 2018) she highlights the fact that students are unaware of their online actions. Mcdermott draws attention to the fact that every time an individual goes online they generate a digital footprint that is there forever. The digital footprint is one aspect of a tracking method that companies, schools and universities use to track students and individuals online activity. In analysing digital footprints ( Arakerimath & Gupta, 2015) established that there are two types of footprints that an individual can be traced by a passive and active digital footprint. A passive footprint is produced when data is collated on online activity without client online activity. Alternatively, an active footprint is created when a user voluntarily gives personal data to companies who then share their personal details further. 

Image: https://www.twinkl.com.au/illustration/ks1-digital-footprint

Ultimately, the analysis of the research concludes that a digital footprint lasts a lifetime. The research has educated me further on what a digital footprint is and the effects on what a digital footprint can do. The education of digital footprints is still an element that lacks and needs more attention. A digital footprint can be so consequential that individuals may find that they lose their job or schooling opportunities and it may also cause an individual to have a criminal offence in worse case scenarios. 

As an educator, I will be teaching generations of digital native students. Teaching these generations of students means that I have to be technologically savvy and stay engaged in what the children are doing in regards to technology. If I stay educated in a common interest that the students have it means I can educate them on elements of technology like a digital footprint and the dangers of technology. In the research article produced by ( Peres & Mesquita, 2015) there are techniques to manage a digital footprint, and they are most effective if taught when children start using technology. I hope to use digital technology as an effective tool in the classroom to keep children engaged in a topic and have a fun dynamic classroom.  

REFERENCES: 

Arakerimath. A Gupta. P. (2015). Digital footprints: Pros, Cons, and Future. MCA Department, 4, 10.

https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/39569967/52-56.pdf?1446292743=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DDigital_Footprint_Pros_Cons_and_Future.

Hewson, K. (2013). What size is your digital footprint? Phi Delta Kappan, 94(7), 14-17. https:doi.org/10.1177/003172171309400704

McDermott, M. (2018). Digital Footprints, Distance learning, Vol 15, issue 1, 51- 54                                                                                                                                                      https://web-b-ebscohost-com.ezproxy2.acu.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=13&sid=1ffe6c2c-5cc0-4f71-b192-31207b1bc87e%40pdc-v-sessmgr03

Peres, D.P.,Mesquita, D.A (2015). ECSM2015- Proceedings of the 2nd European Conference on Social Media 2015: ECSM 2015. In Google books. Academic Conferences.                            

https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=VDU7CgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA354&dq=digital+footprint&ots=D0PGzAypsH&sig=53CEAR48WPD9ktGthZiu5lIV42M&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=digital%20footprint&f=false

Image: https://www.twinkl.com.au/illustration/ks1-digital-footprint

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P_gj3oRn8s