What are digital footprints? | Year 3 Computing PDF Download

Understanding Footprints: A Tale of Traces Left Behind

• Footprints as Traces of Movement: Have you ever strolled and noticed a series of footprints left behind? These footprints can be found on sandy beaches, muddy paths, snowy parks, or even in your home when muddy shoes are forgotten.
• Significance of Footprints: Footprints act as a visual record of where individuals have traveled, offering insights into their paths.
• Self-Reflection Through Footprints: By looking behind you, you can witness your own footprints, marking the trail of your journey.
• Transient Nature of Footprints: Footprints are ephemeral, vanishing with the incoming tide, the cleansing rain, or a simple floor cleaning. Once erased, the trail disappears permanently. 

Understanding Digital Footprints

• When using a computer or digital device, you create another type of imprint known as digital footprints.
• Digital footprints consist of a record of websites visited, activities participated in, and games played online.
• Each time you visit a website, click on a link, watch a video, or engage in an online game, you leave a small digital marker or footprint.
• Unlike ordinary footprints that fade over time, digital footprints do not disappear on their own.
• Even though these trails may not be visible, they can persist indefinitely.

Understanding Online Footprints

• We navigate websites and online activities using a specialized program or app known as a web browser, which helps us explore the web.
• Each time you visit a new website, the browser or app stores a small digital record in a list called the history, which can be helpful.
• If you forget where you found a great video about dinosaurs, you can check your history to find and revisit the website.
• You can create your own digital markers called bookmarks or favorites to remember useful websites or exciting games.
• To save bookmarks, simply click on the favorite or bookmark icon in your browser or app menu.

What are all these cookies I keep hearing about?

• When you visit a website on the internet, sometimes the site asks if you're okay with it collecting cookies—not the edible kind!
• A computer cookie is a form of digital footprint that stores information the website wants to remember.
• It can save your username, your progress in an online game, or your location to show local weather and other relevant information.
• Most cookies are harmless, but occasionally websites use them to gather personal data, aiming to target you with advertisements for products you might be interested in buying.

Online Safety Guidelines for Creating Accounts and Profiles

• When you participate in online games and activities, you often need to create a user account or profile. This process may require you to provide personal details like your name, location, and date of birth.
  • Name: Your full name
  • Location: Where you live
  • Date of Birth: Your birthdate
• Your user account information contributes to your digital footprint, which includes all the data associated with your online activities.
• Any information you disclose while gaming, sending messages, or commenting on content online adds to this digital trail.
• It's essential to be cautious about the information you share online. Always seek guidance from a trusted adult when uncertain.

Understanding Digital Footprints and Their Management

• Digital Footprints: Digital footprints are the traces of our online activities and interactions that we leave behind on the internet.
• Removing Simple Digital Footprints: You can easily delete your browsing history, bookmarks, and cookies from your devices to clear some digital footprints.
• Challenges with User Accounts: Deleting digital footprints associated with user accounts and profiles is much more difficult and sometimes impossible.
• Longevity of Digital Footprints: Unlike physical footprints that fade, digital footprints can persist for years, potentially even into adulthood.
• Importance of Online Behavior: It's crucial to be mindful of the digital footprints you create, practicing kindness online, safeguarding personal information, and seeking guidance from trusted adults.