Module 3: Auditing Your Current Digital Footprint

Step 1: What Is Your Digital Footprint (Right Now)?

Your digital footprint is everything that can be linked back to you online:

• Posts, comments, photos, videos
• Likes, follows, and shares
• Old accounts you forgot about
• Mentions of your name on other people’s pages or websites

There are two main types:

1. Active footprint – things you choose to post or create (posts, bios, videos, profiles).
2. Passive footprint – data collected about you in the background (tracking cookies, location data, browsing history, ad profiles).

In this module, you’ll run a quick but structured audit of your online presence so you can:

• See what a stranger (teacher, coach, employer, college, or future client) would see
• Spot strengths (things that help your digital first impression)
• Spot risks and red flags (things that could hurt you now or later)
• Notice gaps (places where nothing positive shows up yet)

You’ll end this module with:

• A simple audit log of what appears when your name is searched
• A list of at least five types of risky content to watch out for
• A priority list of what to fix or improve first

> Tip: Imagine a coach, scholarship reviewer, or hiring manager searching your name today. This audit shows you what they would likely see.

Step 2: Set Up Your Personal Audit Log

You’ll need a place to write down what you find.

Choose one now:

• A Google Doc or Word document
• A notes app on your phone
• Paper and pen (draw a simple table)

Create a mini table with these columns:

| Platform / Place | What shows up | Positive / Neutral / Risk | Notes / Action |

|------------------|--------------|----------------------------|----------------|

Activity (2–3 minutes):

1. Set a timer for 2 minutes.
2. Create your table in your chosen format.
3. Write your name and today’s date at the top (this helps if you repeat the audit later).

When you’re done, you’re ready to start the actual search.

Step 3: How to Search Yourself Like a Stranger

To see your digital footprint accurately, you want results that are not heavily customized to you.

On a computer (recommended):

1. Open a private / incognito window:

• Chrome/Edge: `Ctrl + Shift + N` (Windows) or `Cmd + Shift + N` (Mac)
• Firefox: `Ctrl + Shift + P` (Windows) or `Cmd + Shift + P` (Mac)

1. Go to Google (or another major search engine like Bing or DuckDuckGo).

Search these phrases (one by one):

1. `"Your First Name Your Last Name"`

Example: `"Jordan Lee"`

1. `"Your First Name Your Last Name" + city`

Example: `"Jordan Lee" Atlanta`

1. `"Your First Name Your Last Name" + school / team / club`

Example: `"Jordan Lee" Central High` or `"Jordan Lee" Wildcats`

For each search, look at the first 1–2 pages of results and note in your audit log:

• Where you appear (Instagram, TikTok, school site, news article, random forum, etc.)
• Whether each result is Positive, Neutral, or Risk for your digital first impression.

> Remember: Search engines keep changing how they rank results, and they use your past activity to personalize. Private/incognito isn’t perfect privacy, but it reduces personalization so you see something closer to what others might see.

Step 4: Do Your Search Result Audit

Activity (4–5 minutes):

1. Open a private/incognito window.
2. Perform the three searches from Step 3.
3. For each search result that clearly refers to you, fill in your table. Example:

| Platform / Place | What shows up | Positive / Neutral / Risk | Notes / Action |

|---------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|----------------------------|------------------------------------------|

| Instagram (public profile)| My main account with sports photos and bio | Positive | Keep. Maybe add link to school honors. |

| Old Twitter/X account | Cringe jokes from 2019 | Risk | Delete old posts or make account private |

| School newsletter | Article about winning a science fair | Positive | Highlight this in future applications |

| Random forum | Someone with same name, not me | Neutral | Ignore, not actually me |

1. Mark at least one result as:

• Positive (helps your image)
• Risk (could hurt your image)

If you don’t find yourself at all, write that down too. That means you have a gap in your digital footprint (you’re hard to find), which can also matter for your future brand.

Step 5: Red Flags and Reputation Risks (What to Watch For)

Here are common types of content that can harm your digital first impression. You should be able to list at least five by the end of this step.

1. Disrespectful or hateful content

• Slurs, bullying, harassment
• Posts making fun of someone’s race, gender, religion, disability, body, or identity

2. Evidence of dangerous or illegal behavior

• Underage drinking/drug use shown clearly
• Vandalism, theft, or weapons shown as a joke

3. Oversharing personal data

• Full home address, school schedule, phone number, or ID cards visible
• Location tags that show exactly where you are every day

4. Highly negative or aggressive posts

• Long angry rants, threats, or doxxing (sharing others’ private info)
• Constant drama or public fights in comments

5. Inappropriate photos or videos

• Revealing images or sexually suggestive content
• Embarrassing videos that you wouldn’t want a teacher or future boss to see

6. Dishonesty or plagiarism

• Claiming achievements that aren’t true
• Copying others’ work, art, or writing without credit

7. Old, outdated versions of you

• Very old posts that no longer reflect who you are (e.g., 13-year-old you vs. 17-year-old you)

> Real-world note: Many schools, scholarships, and employers now legally can look at public social media and search results as part of their decision-making, as long as they follow anti-discrimination and privacy laws in their region. That means your public posts today can still matter years from now.

Step 6: Quick Check – Spot the Risk

Decide which result is the biggest reputation risk.

Step 7: Audit Your Social Profiles One by One

Now you’ll review your actual profiles, not just search results.

Activity (4–5 minutes): Choose 2–3 platforms you use most (for example: Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X/Twitter, YouTube, Discord, LinkedIn if you have it).

For each platform, check:

1. Profile basics

• Username: Does it match your personal brand from Module 2, or is it confusing/offensive?
• Profile picture: Would you be okay with a teacher or future boss seeing this?
• Bio: Does it reflect who you are now? Any jokes that could be misunderstood?

1. Privacy settings

• Is your account public, private, or mixed (e.g., private account + public highlights)?
• Who can tag you or mention you?
• Who can see your stories or past posts?

1. Recent content (last 6–12 months)

• Scroll your posts, stories highlights, and pinned content.
• Look for at least 3 posts that might be:
• Strongly positive
• Neutral
• Risky

1. Add to your audit log

For each platform, add a row like:

| Platform / Place | What shows up | Positive / Neutral / Risk | Notes / Action |

|------------------|--------------|----------------------------|----------------|

| TikTok | Funny skits, one party video with alcohol | Risk | Archive or delete party video; keep skits |

> Important: Even on “private” accounts, screenshots and screen recordings can be shared. Privacy settings reduce risk but do not make posts truly temporary or untraceable.

Step 8: How Your Activity Creates Persistent Digital Fingerprints

Even when you don’t post, your actions online leave digital fingerprints that can often be used to re-identify you over time.

Examples of digital fingerprints:

• Your device and browser info (phone model, operating system, browser version, screen size)
• Your IP address and approximate location
• The combination of websites you visit, time of day you’re active, and how long you stay
• Your likes, follows, and watch history on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram

Companies use this data to:

• Personalize your feed and ads
• Build a profile of your interests, habits, and patterns
• Sometimes link activity across different sites using trackers and cookies

Even if your name isn’t shown, these patterns can often be tied back to you or your device. This is why:

• Old accounts you forgot about can still connect to your identity
• “Anonymous” browsing is often less anonymous than it feels

> You don’t need to be scared, but you should be aware: your online behavior shapes a long-term pattern that platforms remember, even when individual posts disappear.

Step 9: Prioritize What to Fix First

Now that you’ve seen your results and profiles, it’s time to choose what to handle first.

Activity (3–4 minutes):

1. Look at the Risk items in your audit log.
2. For each risk, ask:

• How bad would this look to a teacher, college, or employer? (Low / Medium / High)
• How public is it? (Only close friends / Followers / Entire internet)
• How easy is it to fix? (Simple / Medium / Hard)

1. On a new section of your notes, create two short lists:

Top 3 urgent fixes (high risk + public + easy or medium to fix)

• Example: Delete or archive a post that shows illegal or dangerous behavior.
• Example: Change a very inappropriate username.

Top 3 improvements (build your positive footprint)

• Example: Update your bio to match your real interests and goals.
• Example: Add a link to a school project, portfolio, or achievement.

1. Put a star next to the one action you will do today (right after this module).

Step 10: Key Term Flashcards

Flip through these cards in your mind and see if you can explain each term before reading the back.

Step 11: Final Check – Did You Meet the Objectives?

See if you can connect this module back to the goals.