Your Digital Footprint
The term “digital footprint” refers to the magnitude of your presence online. It’s almost impossible these days to completely avoid leaving a digital footprint. If you use email, have ever been in the newspaper, or placed an ad on a site like Kijiji, you have a digital footprint even if you don’t have a Facebook profile or an Instagram account. How big is your digital footprint?
How do you feel about the magnitude of your digital footprint? The ways in which we leave a footprint online creates a media message about who we are. How well do you think your digital footprint represents who you feel you really are?
Is Social Media Positive or Negative?
Social media is almost an inescapable part of modern life. Some argue that it is a positive force in our lives because it allows us to maintain connections, while others suggest it has created a culture of narcissism and leads to bullying. Consider the following essay by American author, Jonathan Franzen. It is adapted from a speech Franzen originally gave at a college commencement ceremony. As you read, make it a goal to really focus on your reading. Eliminate any other distractions, such as alerts on your phone or other windows open on your computer. Pause after each paragraph and ask a question of the text or make a connection.
Answer the questions that follow the essay on a separate sheet of paper. Use evidence (quotation, summary, and or paraphrase).
Please remember to bring a rough draft of your essay for tomorrow for peer editing. No rough draft, no marks for peer editing.