Cybersluething is looking up a person on the internet to see what you can find. It is often used by employers hiring new employees. It is also done by many curious people all over the world. Many celebrities are cybersleuthed every second of the day by random curious people. Cybersluething is why keeping a responsible digital identity is so important. If you don’t it can be career and relationship ending.
I cybersleuthed my friend and found all kinds of information on her. I could find all of her social media accounts (even the ones she thought were private) including her date of birth, job and hobbies. I could even find where she lives. This is interesting because lots of the information I found she thought was private. Cything shows that everything you put online can be dug out and reasonably easy too.
Monica Lewinsky is a prime example of what can happen if you are not responsible with your digital identity. After the media found out that she was in love with her boss (the president) it was everywhere. When you work for someone that high up in rank anything you do is bound to end up on the media. This kind of attention can be overwhelming and damaging to a person’s reputation causing many hardships in the person’s life.
That is one example why it is so important to teach students about the importance of digital citizenship before their digital citizenship controls their lives. It is important students know that what is put online will be there forever. What we say online holds true meaning. Whether it is said to the person’s face or through a screen it has been said. We need to teach students that their online presence matters.
However, it is also important for teachers and adults to be looking at what students are posting online as well and relating it to how they act in the classroom and community. Are they acting the same both on and off line or are they putting on an act that could be damaging their self-confidence off line trying to be someone they are not. Does there seem to be more going on than they are showing in the classroom? Madison Holleran seemed like a happy student looking at her online presence until one day she thought life wasn’t good anymore. It is important to check in with our students even if everything seems to be good on and off line.