Digital Tattoos
I am sure that you have heard “once you post it
online it is there forever!” if not now you have. The “it” can be anything from an image, text,
video, or any other file format uploaded online. The reality is that yes “it”
may be there forever in the digital world even if you retract the “it” within
minutes of uploading it because due to the massive digital traffic there is a high
possibility that by the time you delete your unwanted file someone could have already
saved the file without your knowledge. The archaic analogy of “digital
footprints” is outdated because as seen with footprints in sand, snow, or dirt,
they can always be covered up or wiped away. The new analogy in the digital
world is “digital tattoos” because as mentioned earlier these digital imprints that
we upload are permanent like a skin tattoo.
Are Digital Tattoos Good or Bad?
There are pros as well as cons on digital tattoos. The
cons range from having images or comments that can potentially jeopardize job possibilities
for those whom upload images of “irresponsible behaviors”, I put this in quotes
because it is subjectively up to the employer’s definition on what they deem as
irresponsible behaviors, and as a result they might hinder job opportunities. We
should be aware that there are many employers that research potential candidates
through digital social media websites. Focusing on employers and
professionalism is a great transition to explain the pros of digital tattoos. Digital
tattoos are great ways for us to make our imprint on the digital world by
showcasing our talents, achievements, and attributes in our educational
professional field. We can use the digital world to present our optimized self
to colleagues, students, parents, and potential employers. Digital tattoos can
help us permanently leave our legacy in the world.
Digital Investigation
Now that we have examined digital tattoos and its
pros and cons I want to talk about a recent activity that I participated in my
Dominican Education EDUC 353 course on October 14, 2013. The activity required
me and a partner to digitally investigate a stranger (a known associate of the professor)
and compose a PowerPoint of as much information both personal and professional
on a certain individual named Lucy (last night omitted in order to protect her
identity). The majority of this information I found through Facebook, Twitter,
and Google. However there are multiple websites that facilitate digital
investigations such as pipl.com, zoominfo.com, peekyou.com, and many more. The result
of the activity was that I was able to locate Lucy’s neighborhood, her
workplace address, her children’s’ names, her husband’s name, as well as
pictures of her and her family. I was also able to find out Lucy’s alma maters,
her colleagues, her age, her salary her hobbies, and her PLNs. Honestly; I was
amazed and shocked that I was able to find out all this about a woman that I have
never met. I was surprised because I always thought about digital tattoos but this
activity helped me understand the grand scale of digital tattoos: most of your
digital tattoos are really on public showcase for any stranger to observe and
lurk through.
Digital Tattoos: Students
I think digital investigation and digital tattoos
are great topics to discuss with students because they need to be fully aware
of the consequences of their digital tattoos. Students are now beginning to use
digital media at a younger age and as their teachers we must prepare them by disseminating
the insightful knowledge of navigating through the digital world. Students need
to comprehend that any stranger will have access to their public digital
tattoos and therefore, they must always think thoroughly before they post or
comment online. By engaging in a dialogue with students about digital
investigation and digital tattoos we can help students become adequately prepared
for the digital world.
*If you want to know more about the digital
investigation I participated in, or some websites that facilitate digital investigations
then just post a comment on the comment section*
Danny this was an excellent analysis of the topic and its pros and cons. I'm glad you found it to be a worthwhile activity.
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