At the top of our class on Digital Identity, we were asked to quickly google ourselves and see if what we found aligned with what we want others to see or know about us.

s.dunn, screenshot google search, 2025

The idea that we all leave a digital footprint as we navigate the web (sharing, liking, and posting) is something I’d only slightly considered. I do not spend a lot of time putting things on social media for this particular reason.

pixabay, 2025

But what I’ve learned is that absence of a digital footprint can have a downside as well. An online presence is an opportunity to showcase your skills, engage in social justice, and have an active hand in building positive and generative online spaces/communities.

When it comes to digital identity, and how as educators we can support student’s awareness and online agency, there are a few key considerations I’m taking away with me about curating an online identity:

1. Students need to be aware of their digital footprint. Educators need to support them in understanding how the choices they make online are captured long-term. This includes education around how companies like Snapchat have ownership of the images they post, that every digital action is etched into the online archive, and that what one shares online can have larger personal implications. Resource (middleschool) : Digital Footprint: How to Build a Positive Online Identity 

1. Offering students resources that promote both a critical and authentic approach to online engagement. Consider the spectrum of how social media use can impact one’s life. The range includes posting inappropriate content that can have significant repercussions on one’s non-digital life, to posting such an idealized version of your life that it causes dissonance within one’s actual lived experiences. The story of Madison Holleran demonstrates an example of how this idealized version of lives online are so dominant that they trump the actual message that friends or family share with us – distorting our perception of ourselves and of others. Stories like Madison’s are important to share with students, so that they can recognize these dangers  from the outside.
2. By offering students tools and activities that engage them in building a positive online presence, we can help nurture healthy digital citizenship. This can be done by creating ePortfolios, being active in community and social justice work online, and creating new models for healthy online identity and community. Resource (K-Gr 3): MediaSmarts Lesson Plan: Representing Ourselves Online)

As I reflected on Digital Identity, my thoughts went to my own children and what would surface if I searched them online.   

Neither has a social media account – but I became aware of my responsibility as a parent and the digital identity I’m creating for them without their input. Most of what came up when I searched them were new articles about events or projects they’ve been at or contributed to. My one daughter had a Gr 4 teacher that would get the students to submit critical comments to articles on CBC kids news (Good Stuff!). Everything I’ve found is pretty positive, healthy, and safe.  But I keep thinking about the number of images I’ve posted of them when they were little. What online identity have I already established for them….