Put Your Best Foot Forward

The digital world certainly has its pitfalls, so successfully navigating it calls for shrewdness and savvy. But when used properly, powerful digital media can open up an array of limitless possibilities. In this world, amazing achievements, even by one person, can have a global impact.

A Worldwide Platform

Digital communication technology has given everyone a new, potentially worldwide audience. For example, a person might create a blog or start posting on social media about natural pet care for just a few friends to read. But because of the power of digital communication technology and social networking, their content can be instantly transmitted to pet lovers across the world who are interested in the subject. Faraway readers can comment, ask questions, like, and re-post the content. The author can respond and might be encouraged to share additional insights on natural pet care by writing or posting more content. The creator may begin to gain followers if people around the world with an interest in natural health care for pets start paying attention.

A content creator or blog author’s commentary and creative ideas will become part of their digital footprint. In the future, they may use it to present their work to potential employers or college admissions officers. It can reveal another side or hidden talent that might otherwise be concealed in a world without a digital platform.

The same is true of creative pursuits in the world of music, film, literature, and art. Today, people can take work they are proud of and present it to the world without having to go through an agent, record producer, publisher, or distributor. Creative people literally have open access to a world stage.

Early in the internet era, the digital footprint of Julie Powell loomed large in a very positive way. In August 2002 she started a blog that documented her attempt to make all the recipes in Julia Child’s classic cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The goal was to make all 524 recipes in the book over the course of one year. The blog had a small following at first but then picked up an avid fan base. The blog led to a book deal and a major movie, Julie & Julia, starring Amy Adams and Meryl Streep.

More recently, superstar music artists like Billie Eilish, Chance the Rapper, and Post Malone achieved early success and name recognition on free streaming platforms like SoundCloud. And thousands of successful vloggers and influencers have leveraged YouTube and social media to gain followers, earn money, and build major public profiles.

Crafting an Online Portfolio

The Internet provides many opportunities for creative people to save and share their work. In order for online work to be judged properly and fairly, it must be presented professionally. Proper spelling, punctuation, and grammar are essential when presenting written work. Any accompanying photos, videos, or memes must be clear and in good taste.

By the same token, musical productions should have an air of professionalism when put online. They have to be presented in a professional way, look and sound sharp, and be simple to stream or download. Like record demos of years ago, an artist or group’s early productions should be put together to showcase the talent of the creators.

These digital productions can serve as a portfolio or archive for those who created them. While the pieces may be raw and lack polish, they should be done tastefully and serve as positive promotional pieces.

These elements of a digital footprint can help to track an individual’s personal and creative growth. As people hone their talents, it will show in their creative pursuits. The work will get better and better, and the digital artifacts will be the yardstick by which others measure that growth.

Too Much Information

While the internet and social media have opened up new venues for creativity, it has also pierced the expectation of privacy. No matter how technically advanced communication gets, there are still some things that should remain private and not the subject of online conversations, blogs, or social networking sites.

There is no guarantee of privacy online: when conversations, opinions, and photographs are put online, they are there for everyone to see. The Internet cannot be confused with another creative tool, a handwritten diary. With a paper diary, people can record their most private thoughts and then keep the diary under lock and key in a dresser drawer. Emails, text messages, and social media posts have a way of becoming public, even if that does not happen right after they are sent or posted. These digital writings, which the author might think of as private communications and closed to the world, are difficult if not impossible to erase. Long forgotten text messages, emails, and posts can resurface and cause tense, if not outright embarrassing, moments for the writer. These writings become a permanent part of a person’s digital footprint, along with any photographs and videos associated with them.

The same attention that goes into creative endeavors intended for a wide audience has to be paid to even the most casual communications in the digital world. Before posting an item or emailing anything, a person has to ask: If this post or email were accidentally released to the public, would it leave a bad impression of me? Some experts have recommended giving an item the “grandparent test.” Ask yourself: Would I be proud or embarrassed if my grandparents were to see this? Sad as it may be, bad impressions travel faster than good ones and can do substantial damage.

No Expectation of Privacy

Privacy risks have been part of the online world since the early days of the internet. Consider the case of Cynthia Moreno. Her family had to move out of their hometown of Coalinga, California, in 2005 after Moreno, then a college student, made some unflattering statements about the town on her MySpace page. Moreno’s former principal at Coalinga High School read the post and sent the piece on to the Coalinga Record, a local newspaper, which published it and named Cynthia Moreno as the author. Town residents were enraged by Moreno’s rant about hating the town and lashed out at the entire family, which included a younger sister. The family received death threats, and people stopped doing business with Moreno’s father, which seriously hurt the family’s income.

The Moreno family sued the principal, the school district, and the newspaper, claiming, among other things, invasion of privacy. The California Fifth District Court of Appeals ruled against the Morenos in 2009. The court held that because Cynthia Moreno posted her comments on a MySpace blog, what she wrote was available for anyone with a computer to read. In doing so, she knowingly put the material in the public eye. With that in mind, the court went on to rule that Moreno should have had no expectation of privacy. The Moreno case may be over ten years old, but its lessons are still relevant.

Today, sophisticated forms of online harassment like doxxing and cyberbullying have unfortunately become quite common. The successful Twitch streamer xQc was recently forced to move after his address was revealed online and doxxers contacted law enforcement with false information which resulted in numerous police raids on his home. A number of journalists and political activists have been targeted for harassment in similar ways after their personal information was revealed online. Despite the many benefits of social media, it has also created new opportunities for malicious actors to intimidate and victimize people they disagree with or don’t like.

The lesson to be learned from these examples is this: When you go online you are never alone. For better or for worse, anything posted online or on social media can go viral. And once something goes viral, it is nearly impossible to predict who will see it and how they might react.

Tips for Blogging and Posting Content

Starting a blog or posting on social media is a great way for young content creators to practice their craft and share their work with others. Follow these tips so that your content helps, rather than harms, your digital footprint.

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  Keep blog entries and posts fun, light, and on popular subjects.

• Be creative, but stay on topic.

• Avoid divulging any personal information.

• Show your best side by using proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

• Steer clear of offensive language and rants.

• If someone makes an inappropriate comment on your blog or social media post, do not respond. Delete the comment. If necessary, block the person from commenting in the future.