Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Digital Tattoos - A permanent stamp in the digital world

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What a world we live in!  People used to have to search through telephone books, go to the library, or send paper mail (i.e.  snail mail), in order to find out information on someone...  But not anymore!  Now all of this information is at the touch of your fingertips!  Just a few clicks and there it is, data on people you want to know more about... or maybe not.

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Digital Tattoos relate to the material that can be found on an individual, that means almost anyone, on the internet.  There are many search engines, quite a few that are free, where you can search for just about anything you want.  I knew that a lot of information was floating around the world wide web, but after learning more about Digital Tattoos, and what sites you can go to, to easily search for details, I was pretty surprised!  I am one of those people who has "Googled" myself, to see what popped up.  I was able to find out what sites my name was listed under, what information came up right away, and even if there were more people with the same name (which there are!)  I find that personal research interesting, so I know what others can find out about me, at the click of a button.

When I was in elementary school, all the way through high school, the online world was around, but it did not have such an impact on individuals, that it does now.  Being linked to pictures on social media, or even through a quick online search, was not something I had to worry about.  Now, however, exposing children to the digital world and teaching them about digital tattoos is an important topic to discuss. Letting them know that early on in their lives, their digital footprint was established, and that it was probably by their parents!  I do not think think the digital world is something to be afraid of, or shy away from, but rather students should know about it, so they can make well - informed decisions about what to post (or share) on the internet.  Technology and the internet are not going anywhere anytime soon, so it is always better to educate children so they have the right tools to make smart decisions.

5 comments:

  1. I agree, kids need to learn about what information to share. Will they learn it from their parents or their teachers? By they way, I like your background, especially as I read your post on a gloomy day. It is so happy!

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  2. I Google myself too... often! It was a lot easier to internet-stalk myself when I had an unusual last name, but I feel slightly more private now that I have a name in common with several other people in the world. It's crazy how much info about us exists 'somewhere out there!'

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  3. Great post, Maria. Media Literacy and Digital Tattoos are topics that extend beyond the librarian and computer lab teachers. I love your perspective and understanding that it's an important topic.

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  4. It is interesting how things change so gradually -- for you, as a teen, "the online world was around, but it did not have such an impact on individuals, that it does now." For me, it was not around until I was a full adult with four children!

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  5. I agree that it is amazing to be able to have almost any kind of information you need in a matter of seconds from your own home. We used to take field trips on the bus to the public library and go through microfiche to find newspaper articles. Wow.

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