Picture this: you’re scrolling through Instagram, past a bread baking tutorial and the seven hundredth picture of your coworker’s cat, when you see it. Your sweet, innocent kid is up to shenanigans, there for all the world to see.
Children are notoriously shaky when it comes to considering the long-term effects of their actions. They’re not thinking about the consequences of a digital footprint. It’s not their fault — their rational brains aren’t fully developed yet.
Because of this, it’s natural to worry about what our kids may do or say online and the negative impact it could have on their life. Read on to learn about what a digital footprint is, why it’s important, and how to help your child make smart decisions when it comes to theirs.
A “digital footprint” refers to the photos, posts, and comments that a person makes online. These actions contribute to the impression they make on others, both now and in the future.
What we post online can be shared, saved, and screenshotted, which means a post can live on — even after you or your child deletes it.
Just like your child’s muddy feet on your clean kitchen floor, everything they post online leaves a trace. But a digital footprint can’t be wiped away with a mop, and the consequences are potentially much bigger.
For example, let’s say your child has a Snapchat account, subscribes to a YouTube channel, and comments on a Discord server. Those are all activities that increase the amount of personal information they have shared online.
What your child does and says online can impact many areas of their life, both in the near-term and down the line.
For better or for worse, college admissions offices and employers often see social media as fair game when evaluating applicants. A compromising picture or questionable words posted years before can derail a would-be student or employee’s prospects.
Kids’ online behavior can also have consequences in the present. There have been instances of students being banned from extracurricular activities because of a post showing them drinking. And if your child bullies someone online, their comments and messages can possibly be traced back to them.
Although your child’s digital footprint is important, it’s not something to panic over. Think of it as an opportunity to guide your child to make good digital decisions while they are still under your roof. This will set them up to make sound choices about their online behavior as they get older.
It’s hard to know where to start with a topic as broad and important as this. Remember, the digital footprint talk is not just a one-time thing. Ideally, it’s an ongoing and evolving conversation that will shift and grow as your child gets older.
Here are some things to consider to get you started:
Before you post a picture of your child, consider asking their permission. You can start this practice with kids as young as preschool age.
We know — it’s tough. They’re so stinking cute, and you just wanna share that amazingness with the world! What if they say no?
But by modeling careful consideration before posting, you’ll teach them to pause and think before putting something online. It also gives them experience exercising agency over their digital footprint in a way that you can supervise and guide.
Encourage your child to stop and think before they post. Here are some questions they can ask themselves to guide their posting decisions:
Privacy settings allow you to control who can see, comment on, and save your posts on social media. Every platform is a little different, but it’s important to understand what social platforms your child is using and what their settings allow people to see.
This is a great opportunity to talk to your child about online privacy. For example, if your child has a Snapchat account, sit down together and discuss why it’s important to keep their location private on Snapchat’s Snap Map — rather than broadcasting their location for strangers to see.
Here are some online privacy suggestions to discuss with your kid:
Let your child know they can always come to you if they’re concerned about something they posted online. Practice regular check-ins with them where you sit down and look at their social media together.
Consider using an app like BrightCanary that helps you keep an eye on your child’s social media presence. If you see a post that concerns you, use the above questions to help guide your approach.
Digital footprints can have a big impact on a child’s life and parents need to be active in guiding their children to make smart choices about what to post. Starting the conversation early and keeping the communication open and ongoing will set your child up for a lifetime of smart digital decisions.
