positive consequences
The term 'Digital Footprint' is usually associated with the negative consequences that can occur, like breaches of privacy. However, It can also be a positive thing, depending on how you use the online world. There are both pros and cons to having an online presence, which will be many people's first impression of you, including friends, strangers and employers. Nowadays, anyone can access any available information about you online, which can have a real world effect. A positive consequence of this is that it allows people to showcase who they are to a wide audience. For example, if you are an artist, you can post your work online and reach an artistic community, get feedback, and possibly even job offers from a studio. This artistic talent now becomes a part of your online identity, which can help you make new friends or give a positive first impression to potential future employers. Your digital footprint is not just a consequence of your online actions, but a tool that can be utilised both personally and professionally. Nowadays employers do not judge you based entirely on your job interview, but carry out a thorough background check that examines your digital footprint, evaluating whether you would fit into the position. For example, an employer would be more likely to select you for a position if they could see that your Facebook page shows that you are a friendly, valued member of society than if it presented an unfriendly, antisocial persona. This would give them the impression that you are an open, honest person with nothing to hide, potentially putting you above other options. It would be much smarter for you to post a photograph of you helping a charity than one of you getting drunk at a party if you are looking for employment. This can also affect you socially. Having an open, friendly social media presence can make people feel more comfortable introducing themselves to you, increasing not only the amount of friends you have, but the quality and trust of those relationships. And these are just the obvious positives. There are many others, for example, Digital Footprints make it possible for adopted children to find their birth parents, starting a relationship that could easily have been lost forever. It can also make it easier to track down missing people, possibly saving lives.