Digital Presence can be good because:

– Ideas spread easily. With the technology we now have, it only takes seconds to find the answer to any questions that you have.
– You can be anonymous. Maybe you’re protesting for a good cause, but you don’t want to get in trouble or don’t want your name to be everywhere.
– You can bring attention to subjects people might not know about. One example is the ALS ice bucket challenge. If it weren’t for Youtube and other social media people use, very few people would know about or participate in the challenge or donate money.
– People can remember you better. You’ll have a legacy.

Digital Presence can be bad because:

– People only know the things you tell/show. They won’t know the real you.
– Ideas people spread aren’t always positive
– You can be anonymous, and things will be hard to trace
– People will put things like spam, ads, and offensive things
– If you make one mistake, everyone sees
– You might become less social with the world around you (not online)
– Posting things is forever, and it’s hard to take something back
– Things you put can often be misunderstood

What Are the Limits?

– Don’t post every single second of your life, you’ll probably end up regretting it later.
– Know how to be safe. Don’t post pictures of how rich you are, your address, or any private information you don’t want everybody to know.
– Don’t post anything that will offend anyone. You’ll end up hurting way more people than you intend to.

This picture shows how information can be shared easily, with anyone. So be careful what you share.

Photo Credit: Marc_Smith via Compfight cc

Here is a short music video about thinking before you post.

Two other blogs you can read to find out more about Digital Citizenship 😀
Teresa’s Blog
Nanako’s Blog