The term “digital footprint” refers to the trail of data we leave behind in the various ways we interact with a computer which is connected to the internet in any capacity (Christensson). This includes keystrokes, and mouse clicks; but it can also include more covert and intrusive connections such as cameras and microphones. From the moment we have chosen to personally engage with a device connected to the internet, we have agreed to both a physical, as well as an unacknowledged contract which forfeits any and all privacy to some entity or mechanism of the web.
My position on the subject is extreme, granted, but I personally believe digital security to be numbered among the most pertinent and dangerous issues facing today’s youth, and one which goes largely unacknowledged while continuing to spiral further out of control. Promises of security convince children and adults to feel safe divulging the most personal of information to friends, family, even potential employers. The thing is that almost daily it seems there is another massive security breach leaving hundreds, thousands, sometimes millions of people completely unsure to what extent their personal information has been compromised. Facebook is just one example of a massively used platform which has been sued multiple times for lapses in its security measures. Twitter, another widely used platform, is facing multiple class action lawsuits for marketing users personal data to advertising agencies, including personal phone numbers. These are just two examples among many, with security breaches ranging from personal content, to financial information, resulting in extortion, identity theft, and worse in some cases.
Despite facing charges numbered in the hundreds of millions, the reality is that the massive amount of wealth generated by these corporations to simply filter through the couches for loose change to pay the fines. Computer literacy, in all of its facets, and the amount of knowledge needed to be fluent in it is growing in orders of magnitude, such that the majority of users save for those directly invested in understanding and contributing to these industries can not be expected to understand the encyclopedic set of information pertaining to their personal security online. With little to no ramifications for the companies claiming responsibility over our security, and the entirety of the consequences of failure falling upon the user, there is a rapidly growing importance to ensure that as educators we are doing out part in protecting students under our supervision, or that we share space with. Countless sources of data sit waiting to be compiled, showcasing rapidly rising rates of teen depression, anxiety, and suicide in parallel with the expansion of Social Media, and economic influence will do its very best to dissuade consumers to break stride from its addictive influence. We, as educators, need to educate; digital footprints are no exception.
Thank you.
Christensson, P. (2014, May 26). Digital Footprint Definition. Retrieved 2021, Jan 29, from https://techterms.com
Criddle, C. (2020, October 28). Facebook sued over Cambridge Analytica data scandal. Retrieved January 29, 2021, from https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-54722362#:~:text=Facebook%20is%20being%20sued%20for,used%20for%20advertising%20during%20elections.
Heid, M. (2019, March 14). Depression and Suicide Rates Are Rising Sharply in Young Americans, New Report Says. Retrieved January 29, 2021, from https://time.com/5550803/depression-suicide-rates-youth/
Ng, A. (2020, September 22). Twitter faces class-action privacy lawsuit for sharing security info with advertisers. Retrieved January 29, 2021, from https://www.cnet.com/news/twitter-faces-class-action-privacy-lawsuit-for-sharing-security-info-with-advertisers/#:~:text=Twitter%20faces%20a%20class-action,people’s%20phone%20numbers%20without%20consent.&text=The%20lawsuit%20alleges%20that%20Twitter,users’%20civil%20rights%20to%20privacy.