Your Teen's Digital Footprint
November 5, 2023 | Lisa Fricke, Program Director
Think back to your teen years and recall your most embarrassing moment. Maybe you can remember something you said or did that now causes you to recoil with regret. We all have moments in our teenage years, that if the same situation presented itself during our adult years, we would respond differently. Immaturity, impulsivity, and the developing teenage brain is a package deal.
Now imagine the scenario that came to mind above being accessed through a quick google search of your name. Aren’t you glad that isn’t possible? Well, this is the reality of the world in which our teens are growing up in.
The term “digital footprint” refers to the fact that our interactions online do not vanish once we click “post”. Even “snaps” that are thought to disappear after a few seconds have a very real capability of becoming part of a person’s online history. Some of the latest videos trending on TikTok, often referred to as “story time”, consist of story after story of individuals bragging about their worst moments. The more cringe-worthy the details, the more viral the post. The attention-craving, hormone-driven teenage brain may not consider future consequences of creating such a post. What brings momentary fame or some laughs now may be a roadblock to landing a job 10 years down the road or maintaining an unintended reputation long after that teen has matured.
Part of what we teach at Live Free is the importance of living with a future orientation. That means understanding that your present actions have future consequences. If you decide to engage in sexual activity now as a teen, that decision will cause emotional and physical ramifications that will reach into adulthood. It’s the same story with other destructive choices that seem fun at the time, such as drug and alcohol use, but will most certainly lead to unwelcome outcomes. We also teach teens the truth about digital risky behavior such as sexting, irresponsible social media use, and pornography. A post or text sent in the heat of the moment has the potential to wreak future havoc.
Parents can have a monumental influence on their teen’s understanding of what it means to have a future orientation concerning their digital footprint. Ask your son or daughter if they know of a classmate who regretted texting or posting something that should have been kept private and what the repercussions were. Discuss the importance of thinking through the consequences of snapping that selfie, sharing that story, or posting those temporary feelings. Your teen may not seem like they are listening, but I guarantee that they are.Think back to your teen years and recall your most embarrassing moment. Maybe you can remember something you said or did that now causes you to recoil with regret. We all have moments in our teenage years, that if the same situation presented itself during our adult years, we would respond differently. Immaturity, impulsivity, and the developing teenage brain is a package deal.
Now imagine the scenario that came to mind above being accessed through a quick google search of your name. Aren’t you glad that isn’t possible? Well, this is the reality of the world in which our teens are growing up in.
The term “digital footprint” refers to the fact that our interactions online do not vanish once we click “post”. Even “snaps” that are thought to disappear after a few seconds have a very real capability of becoming part of a person’s online history. Some of the latest videos trending on TikTok, often referred to as “story time”, consist of story after story of individuals bragging about their worst moments. The more cringe-worthy the details, the more viral the post. The attention-craving, hormone-driven teenage brain may not consider future consequences of creating such a post. What brings momentary fame or some laughs now may be a roadblock to landing a job 10 years down the road or maintaining an unintended reputation long after that teen has matured.
Part of what we teach at Live Free is the importance of living with a future orientation. That means understanding that your present actions have future consequences. If you decide to engage in sexual activity now as a teen, that decision will cause emotional and physical ramifications that will reach into adulthood. It’s the same story with other destructive choices that seem fun at the time, such as drug and alcohol use, but will most certainly lead to unwelcome outcomes. We also teach teens the truth about digital risky behavior such as sexting, irresponsible social media use, and pornography. A post or text sent in the heat of the moment has the potential to wreak future havoc.
Parents can have a monumental influence on their teen’s understanding of what it means to have a future orientation concerning their digital footprint. Ask your son or daughter if they know of a classmate who regretted texting or posting something that should have been kept private and what the repercussions were. Discuss the importance of thinking through the consequences of snapping that selfie, sharing that story, or posting those temporary feelings. Your teen may not seem like they are listening, but I guarantee that they are.