Stranger Activity

One of my most common phrases about the internet is, "if you thought of it...it must be on the internet". I feel that this makes me think about everything that makes me who I am being all over the internet. I grew up with a computer and started using it well before I understood how to use it or what it meant. In today's world, children are surrounded by technology and have pictures of themselves as babies all over their parent's Facebook, meaning before they can speak they are given a digital tattoo.

Finding out about strangers

Recently, I went to Google a stranger to attempt to see what information I could find and how quickly. Within minutes of searching, I can almost tell you everything about this man's life. No Sherlock Holmes needed to find out an address, phone number, relatives, work history, education, birthday, and even his hobbies. The speed at which I could gather this information floored me. If  it was so easy to figure out a great deal about this man how much is out there about me? I googled and looked around at my own digital tattoo. This search lead to nothing shocking but it did make me glad that I don't normally share much on the internet. I don't feel that the same can be said for my future students. I think it is extremely important to teach the effects of a digital tattoo to our student's. It is our jobs as educators to inform them how something as silly as a Facebook picture could cost them a job or a scholarship based on the small fact the school or employer searched them on the internet. I feel that children often think off themselves as bullet proof leaving little to no thought into how their image is being reflected.