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Already, technology has exerted a profound influence on modern life by replacing face-to-face communication, offering online entertainment and becoming an integral part of contemporary society. Despite this, the impact of technology and its role in current times will persist. At the crux of this advancement is something younger generations commonly ignore—their digital footprint. While many may ignore these invisible trails left behind, every digital footprint plays a crucial role in shaping emerging tech industries, and it is of the utmost importance that this footprint be reduced as much as possible.
One of the most overlooked parts of the digital footprint is its harms. For instance, a significant amount of personally identifiable information, whether posted on social media or used to create profiles, can increase the risk of identity theft. Significant dangerous possibilities and misuse of data can occur since not everything is fully secure. Using public data, hackers can cross-reference this information to gain access to private accounts and potentially breach or doxx them on a large scale. As the internet becomes an integral part of modern life, this threat becomes increasingly present and serves as another significant incentive to reduce one’s digital footprint.
Furthermore, apart from causing individual harm, digital footprints can also create detrimental societal standards and norms that perpetuate surveillance capitalism. Every single click, post, or like from any user across the internet can be exploited by money-hungry companies for profit. By collecting massive amounts of data, these companies can continue to make billions of dollars from selling data and increasing targeted advertising. Reducing one’s digital footprint can result in less of their behavior being monetized without consent, and work towards establishing a future internet culture against the unethical practices of selling and collecting data.
Additionally, the impacts of digital footprints can even manifest themselves months, if not years or even decades, into the future. Due to the digital permanence of information, personal growth can be undermined. Even if one were to say or do something they regret early on, the action can still haunt them years later. This permanence can result in harm to future employment or even dating life. Ultimately, everyone deserves a chance to rise above and evolve from past mistakes without them resurfacing endlessly; however, a significant digital footprint can never allow for that.
Despite this, many argue that internet data can quickly be deleted. Many companies guarantee that all data relating to users will be completely wiped upon request, leaving no trace of information. While this gives comfort to many, the reality behind these claims is shocking. One of the most prominent issues with these claims is that they are rarely ever backed up by actual deletion. Although the companies claim to delete data, traces remain, and in some cases, all historical data is still saved despite an account being removed. This can threaten users’ privacy and security, as seen in instances such as Ashley Madison’s data leak, which exposed personal information to millions worldwide. The only way to put an end to this risk is by reducing one’s digital footprint.
As technology continues to grow and evolve, the world we know today could be vastly different from the world we know tomorrow. Yet, it’s still of the utmost importance to maintain basic security measures and privacy by controlling the digital footprint, which can have significant impacts on both a societal and individual level. Ultimately, it’s the small actions one takes that lead to a safer online experience.
