What is a Digital Tattoo?

In short, it is your digital identity. Just like a tattoo, your digital reputation is an expression of yourself. It is formed and added to by you and others over time. Your digital tattoo includes things like websites or blogs you’ve created, tweets, blog comments, your account or screen names and everything else you’ve left on the Internet from your online activities.

Just like a real tattoo, a digital tattoo is easy to create but extremely difficult to remove. But it’s also unlike a tattoo in that it’s not always in your control, since other people have the ability to post information about you online.

There is nothing wrong with having a digital tattoo – digital tattoos are not bad or dangerous, and positive posts can actually work to enhance your reputation. Plus if there is anything negative about you, it helps to have some positive information to counterbalance it.

Want to learn more about yours?

• Search yourself. Use pipl.com to find out what comes up about you. Try spezify or Personas for a visual representation of your identity or (more importantly) how the internet sees you.
• Consider your tattoo. Your Digital Dossier demonstrates how identity is formed online. Be Findable is an example of how your online identity can help you.

Why does it matter?

Being on the Internet is like being in public – anyone and everyone are watching you, and you don’t know who they are. You don’t know who is looking for you on the Internet or why. Ask yourself for a minute why someone might search for you online? It’s also incredibly difficult to erase information on the Internet simply because of the ease in which it can be transmitted – messages and pictures can be easily passed around through cutting and pasting, email, re-tweeting, embedding etc. In this way, the Internet can work as a permanent memory bank.

People also judge you by how you behave online, which can affect you later in life with things like employment (finding a job), college acceptance and your real life relationships.

Questions you should ask yourself before posting online:

• Would I want my teacher or my parents to see this?
• Would I want my best friend to know this?
• Will this information reflect well on me a year from now? Five years from now?
• Who might view or purchase this information about me?
• Are there some details about my life I would like to keep personal?
• What other conclusions might others form with my information?

Use the following websites for more information:

• Use textED.ca to learn more about how to text safely.
• If something creeps you out, report it.
• Find out more about Facebook privacy settings.
• How to stay safe when chatting online.
• Learn more about social media etiquette.
• Find out information about digital dating etiquette.