Can't believe that it's been more than a year since the last time I uploaded my blog! *blows trumpet* *eats firecrackers*
This post is actually a post that I made on the first day of 2017, however, I am that lazy to hit that 'Publish' button, even when the post was already done - sue me. 2017 has not been an easy year for me to go through, but I believe everything will be alright moving forward, hence the late posting here.
Anyhoo, I realize that this blog needs a little bit of color, not only post about fashion and lifestyle but also my personal stories. I've been wanting to make a personal post - not about my personal life but rather my take on things. So to kick things off in 2017, I want to share my recent thoughts about digital footprint. This post was actually inspired by one of my friends who got rejected from his application solely because he does not use nor own social media and boy does my friend have a good reason for that.
Quick story about my friend, he is a content writer working for a production house in Jakarta. To me, he is a really good writer with good use of words and creative ideas, both in Indonesian and English. One time during his interview at one creative agency in Jakarta, he was asked whether he is familiar with current social media platforms and which of the social media channels he regularly uses. Do not get him wrong though, my friend knows every bit of social media there is out there but he chose not to use it because of the footprints that the channels might leave behind. He does not want to leave unnecessary marks on the Internet because once the data is out there, you can never get it back. My friend does not own a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram let alone a Snapchat account. He has never been tempted to install one despite reasons like to connect with old friends and family and what not because he thinks that there are better ways to reach them out personally, than stalking their account. He obviously failed the interview because the job requires him to be social media savvy, despite his experiences. At the end of the day, his decision costs him a great deal to his career, but the question would be, is it necessary not to hire someone because of his decision not to use social media?
I respect him so much for his decision because it is not easy living without social media. To me personally, I find social media as an essential tool to help me get through the day. In my current profession as a Public Relations Consultant, social media has become an essential tool for me to track my client's performance and the public and media's sentiment towards it. So yeah, owning and knowing how social media works are important for me.
If you are unaware of what digital footprint is, it is all the stuff you leave behind as you use the Internet. Comments on social media, Skype calls, app use and email records- it's part of your online history and can potentially be seen by other people, or tracked in a database. Want to know more how harmful digital footprint is, try watching Snowden or the real documentary, Citizenfour.
All those likes, Retweets, and Facebook comments (even private ones) leave a record. Make sure you know what the default privacy settings are for your social media accounts, and keep an eye on them. Sites often introduce new policies and settings that increase the visibility of your data. They may rely on you just clicking “OK” to whatever terms they are introducing, without reading them. Make no mistake about it – the web is listening every time you use it! It’s important that you understand what you’re leaving behind when you visit a website.
See you on the next post!
Marcel
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