Reflecting on the class discussions about who we are on the Internet. I wanted to reflect on what the internet shows me in this spotlight. When I search my name, it gives my blog, Instagram, and Facebook profiles, and my award granted from the Metis Nation of Saskatchewan. Honestly, I became very aware of how “disconnected” I am from other people. I was interested in what showed up about me, so (with permission) I decided to search up my dad, and my mom. I was surprised about my dad because if I think I am disconnected. I’m surprised he still doesn’t own a flip phone, the guy could care less to evolve with the rest of the world. (insert sarcasm) but honestly, he is way behind haha
My dad’s search (Jeremy Belliveau) came up as his Facebook profile, and his work contact information, and scroll
ing down I found out there are also many other people with that name. It brought me to a wedding website, for a couple, and some other things regarding people with the same name.
My mother on the other hand (Brenda Belliveau), I was completely shocked to see that nothing had come up about her until I clicked to the next two pages. I did not realize how common her name is. I think I was more shocked at the fact, my mom is often on the internet, doing advertising for our Metis local here and she scrolls Facebook mindlessly for hours on end (she will admit to this). It scrambled my brain a little bit as to why I had to search a little more in detail to find her, but my dad, who I mentioned before is not with the technological times, was so easy to search up and find information about.
The digital footprint we leave on the internet, can be such a complex thing. I do know technology has its way of helping people find out information so quick, and often times can be very unforgiving. But I think it is important to understand what you essentially are allowing the world to have access to. It does not need to be projected as a scary notion, it just need to be a conscious and self -awareness concept. Even as adults we are needing to be aware what we are projecting out to the world, as it can potentially affect our jobs, reputations, future plans, etc. The internet is a forever place, and like mentioned can be very unforgiving, and unforgiving people have access to things we think may be private. Educating and understanding what out digital footprints can do both good and bad, is essential in a forever changing and technologically growing world.
It’s so interesting to see what pops up when you search a name. I had to scroll a bit to find some of my profiles because other people have the same name as me, which is shocking because until recently I had never met another Carys before.
It’s interesting how some people, like your dad, have minimal online presence, while others, like your mom, can be active but still not show up right away in search results. It really highlights how complex our digital identities can be. I found this lesson plan online that could be fun to try with students: https://annmichaelsen.com/2024/10/23/lesson-plan-digital-identity-and-online-communities-the-story-of-mats-steen/