Do you know what a digital footprint is? Have you stopped to consider your children’s digital footprint?

As a parent, I am sure that you will have concerns as children start to go online more and more.

You should listen to this thought provoking talk on the dangers of what our kids are leaving behind with their Digital Footprint.

You can get it here at 11 minutes in on The Dave Ramsey Show.

Here’ s some of what they were talking about in Your Digital Footprint:

Every time you are online how can you protect yourself and your children to be savvier?

It is the importance of understanding your digital resume, that is what you put online. This is what you put out into the world about you. It is what people will use to judge you by

Watch what pictures that you put online.

Watch what language you use.

Watch what messages you are sending.

You may think you have deleted it but the web traps that information. Everything that you put out there is out there somewhere.

Once you put it on the web, it is out there for all to see

The Problem with the Digital Footprint

Teens are not taking this as serious and

Parents are not taking this as serious

Research has found that 96% of parents didn’ t know the importance of checking their children’ s social media.

They were wondering why kids were having internal mental questions and doubts about themselves.

This is because parents are not taking the impact of the digital world as serious either

What is happening, is that there are young people out there that are not being monitoring by their parents who are putting stuff out there into the world wide web.

When you as a parent, are not monitoring what your child is doing on line this is scary.

It is a harsh world out there; the world of social media can be scary

People become very brave behind a keyboard

This is called Electronic Courage — people act crazy; they act weird when they are behind a keyboard

From a parents stand point why would you allow your child to have this freedom?

If you look at it in the real world,

You would never take your child to a mall and leave them there

You would never take them to a foreign country and leave them there

But that’ s what we do when we leave our children unmonitored on an electronic device, then we are allowing the world to come inside our homes via the world wide web.

Digital Parents set Digital Limits for their children

You need to have limits on the use of digital devices for your children.

You need to know what they are doing on the world wide web.

A responsible parent will be checking on them and be intentional

Some parents say that they feel like they are always hovering – but that’ s called parenting.

It’ s about being involved and being aware of what your children are doing.

When children are online there is unimaginable damage that can be done

Research by Whitmore School of Business found that the average

13 -18 year old spends 9 hours a day on social media

8-12 year old spends 6 hours a day on social media

It found that of the 13- 18 year old that spend 9 hours a day on social media, their grades drop by 20 %

Do you remember what it was like when you were growing up and the digital era was just starting.

Now we are giving children a cell phone and saying here you go this is for emergencies and not looking at what they are doing.

Parents are not looking at how they are using the world wide web what they posting, what they are viewing.

Parents dont know how their children are using this digital technology.

Children are spending 8 hours in school and 9 hours on social media and we are wondering why they are not doing as well as they used.

We definitely need to have limits on the amount of time they spend on digital devices and also give some guidance.

They talk about having a screen free summer — during the day they are outside playing in the outdoors.

Can you imagine a screen free evening? A screen free dinner?

Going back to doing the things that are simple like talking without using a device to communicate.

It is startling the amount of bullying that takes place on line.

Kids are getting ganged up on and picked upon because when people go behind a keyboard they seem to go crazy.

As a parent you need to keep an eye on what they are doing, you need to have a conversation, set some ground rules

The other side of our digital footprint — Your Financial Future

In business you need to guide your children on the consequences of their behaviour. This can affect their financial future their career path.

A lot of people are not thinking about that. what you post on Facebook.

You may not realise it but you may miss out on a job or promotion because of a post that you have made.

More so now than ever before, employers are checking social media and everyone can see what you have posted.

You can miss out on a job or promotion this is not just your personal life it is your financial life as well.

Your Digital Life can affect your future financial prospects

48% of hiring managers who screen candidates via social media say that they find something on social media that causes them not to hire that individual.

Some of the reasons given for not hiring include: –

Provocative and   inappropriate photos

Information about a candidate drinking or using drugs

Candidates bad mouthing employers and fellow colleagues

Discriminatory comments about individuals

Social media is the place for instant connection and talk but you need to be aware of your digital footprint.

The digital footprint we all leave can affect your future.

We all make poor decisions at some time in our lives, but when you look back at what you put out there, you may be affecting your future prospects.

It’ s like a megaphone that most people aren’ t used to having.

You may think that you posted in a private group but there is no private when it comes to online no matter what your think — your digital footprint is out there

What if you are someone who is in high school or college and you know that you posted something and want to fix this

What can you do

Take down any photos that you have online

Delete any posts that are offensive

Be mindful in the future of what language and photos you use online

Their talk ends by saying,

If you wouldn’ t share it with your 85 year old grandmother in a church pew, then don’ t post it.

I think that that is a good moral guide for anyone.

Here’ s to living your digital life

The Digital Mum spreading the word about the Digital Lifestyle

Because there is another way!

Photos by FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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