Hello to all and welcome to week 8 of my blog!
The final blog for this class……what a great time I’ve had these weeks learning about digital media literacy! I hope you too have enjoyed our journey throughout this class!
When I think about my future and digital media literacy, I mostly think about my online footprint. I grew up in a time where there was no internet, no social media, and even less of a need to have a presence online for a job. Now, I would be lying if I didn’t admit that at times I feel a bit lost in this digital world. A big reason for taking this class was to start thinking about how I could create a digital footprint for myself while still maintaining most of my privacy and security, in order to make an impact in the Nutrition world in 2019 and beyond. I don’t want to get left behind in a progressive field I love just because I don’t feel comfortable having an online footprint. The purpose for me being here, in school and learning about something I love, is to make a difference in people’s lives no matter where they live. In order to do that, I know, I have to make a bit of a change.
What changes can I make though? For one, I need to define who I am online (before someone else defines me). I want my name to stand out for the passion I have in Nutrition and helping others so first thing is to make a digital name for myself. I don’t believe that will happen overnight, nor do I believe I will be comfortable with having my name online overnight, but I will make that name. In doing so, however, I will also need to figure out a way to remain as private as I can while making a name for myself. It may not be easy, but, the job my husband has and my overall uneasiness about online privacy dictates that I keep more privacy than most. So maybe I don’t have too many social media accounts, such as Facebook or Instagram, but I create a domain for myself as a start. I also like the idea from Teach Thought in their article, “12 Tips For Students To Manage Their Digital Footprints,” to consider having two emails where one is anonymous.
There is also an interesting article from the National Association of Women Business Owners that refers to a “passive” digital footprint and how to combat that (“passive” meaning what sensitive data we don’t realize we leave behind, thereby again, letting someone else define you). For the most part I already do most of what this article advises in order to keep a healthy, active digital footprint but the one I appreciate the most (and that goes inline with my cutting social media accounts) is the myth that you do have to have many social media accounts in order to thrive as a brand. Let’s face it, in essence, I will be figuring out how to brand myself in the field of nutrition so I will do my best to only keep myself involved with the online sites that can help in that process without putting the majority of my privacy or security at risk.
Again, I hope you have enjoyed following my blog and I hope you see my name again, positively, in this big digital world we all live in!
