Your browsing habits say a lot about you. Here is what you need to know about your digital footprints, and a guide on the mistakes you need to avoid when using the internet.

Warning: These 9 Mistakes Will Destroy Your digital footprint

Why your digital footprint matters

Just like in the natural world, your browsing habits always leave a trail behind. Every key you strike on your smartphone, computer or tablet says something about you. Reckless online habits

can ruin your career, marriage, relationships and reputation, putting your entire life in jeopardy.

What’s a digital footprint?

A digital footprint is the data trace you leave behind as you use your digital gadgets. Also called a digital dossier, it comprises all activity that leads back to you. Wherever you go, the world is always watching and this can either leave a positive digital footprint or negative digital footprint. Digital footprint information can come from either you or third parties, technically referred to as active and passive footprint respectively. 

Active footprints include your posts on social media or blogs, your online contacts. follows, likes, comments, photo or video uploads, instant messages on Skype and Whatsapp, emails and even voice calls. Passive data traces on the other hand are generated by third parties such as friends, relatives, app developers, marketers, e-commerce and cookie-based websites. They include search data, subscriptions, purchases and uploads by others. 

It is hard to control how the online community uses your data or data about you. You have seen screenshots of private conversations leaked online, people lose their jobs and even marriages because of reckless online habits. These negative digital footprints can be avoided. Below is a list of things you should avoid in order to maintain a positive digital footprint.

9 mistakes that can destroy your digital footprint

Whenever you are online, avoid:

1. Cursing and immature posts
2. Sharing confidential information with the public
3. Rude comments and cyber bullying 
4. Racist and discriminatory posts
5. Nudes and other inappropriate pictures such as drunk and disorderly photos
6. Too many selfies
7. Posting too many updates on social media
8. Grammar mistakes on posts
9. Stalking

In conclusion, everything you do on the internet has the power to build or destroy your reputation. It is important to pay keen attention to your browsing habits. In addition, always ensure that your privacy is protected when visiting or sharing information on a website. Importantly, always remember that you have little control over anything you share on the internet. Therefore, mind what you share online lest it returns to haunt you.

Learn more about digital footprint in the video below: