Digital Footprint and Identity

What information is OK to have in your digital footprint?

Does what you do online always stay online? Students learn that the information they share online leaves a digital footprint or “trail.” Depending on how they manage it, this trail can be big or small, and harmful or helpful. What is OK to share? What is not OK to share?

How does what I post online impact my identity?

From selfies to social media, many of us create unique online identities for ourselves, and our students are no different. But do kids always understand how others might perceive what they post? Help your students think critically about the online identities they’re creating.

How does our online activity affect the digital footprints of ourselves and others?

Your digital footprint can affect your online reputation for a long time. But kids don’t always realize that digital footprints aren’t just a personal matter. Show your students how they can contribute to a positive digital reputation, both for themselves and for others.

How do gender stereotypes shape our experiences online?

Kids encounter all kinds of stereotypes in the media. But are kids always aware of what they’re seeing? Help your students think critically about how gender stereotypes can affect the ways they view themselves and others.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of presenting yourself in different ways online?

What does it actually mean to “be yourself” or to “be “real”? Those are deep thoughts for any middle-schooler. For kids today, these questions matter online, too. Help your students explore why some people create different or alternate personas for themselves online and on social media.

How might our digital footprints shape our future?

Our digital footprints can impact our future. What others find about us online shapes how they see us or feel about us. Help your students learn about their digital footprint and the steps they can take to shape what others find and see about them online. According to the video, what do these images have to do with the term “digital footprint”? Lighthouse, copier, whisper, stadium, jumbotron, marker

How does using social media affect our digital footprints?

Social media can be a place to connect, learn, and, most of all, share. But how much do kids know about what they’re sharing — and not just about themselves but each other? Help students think critically about their digital footprints on social media.