Q.2.3 Provide a few tips on how one can manage their digital footprint?

Here are 5 tips to managing your digital footprint:

1. Google yourself: Type your name into Google and see what comes up on the sites, images and videos searches. When there’s content you’re not happy with, remove it if you can, or contact the person who posted it or the site administrator to ask them to take it down.

2. Check privacy settings: Make a list of all the sites you’re on (from Facebook to Instagram, to LinkedIn and YouTube) and check the privacy settings – set as much to private as you can. Check these regularly as the settings do change from time to time. Think about past and future actions – you can edit past actions on Facebook with the activity log to change the visibility of any action that you’ve ever made on your Facebook account.

3. Review your “friends” list: Friendship has been redefined by our social networks – all those people we’ve met in passing or at one off events who we have added as friends – but actually don’t know anymore. Even once you’ve set your privacy settings to ‘friends only’ then it’s time to look at your friends list and see if you’re happy with all those people having access to everything you post on those sites.

4. Delete old social media sites: Back in 2003, MySpace was the big trend – but since then, many of us have migrated to Facebook and Instagram but in many cases have left our old sites active. Think about past social media sites, blogs and videos, and delete dormant profiles and content that you’ve moved on from.

5. Build a positive online profile: Share positive content, engage with current events appropriately, consider the broader audience who will be able to see your posts (colleagues, bosses, potential employers) and double check spelling and grammar.