Digital Footprints: The Traces Your Children Leave Behind
- privcombermuda
- Sep 17
- 3 min read
“Behind you there lays a long series of footprints. And does the nature, direction and depth of them inspire others to walk in them or run from them?”― Craig D. Lounsbrough
When it comes to footprints, typically, the only one’s parents care about are the ones left on the floor after they’ve just mopped. I learned this the hard way after tracking mud on a freshly cleaned floor.
Jump to today, and kids are leaving footprints everywhere. Unlike physical footprints, these can’t be mopped up after your mom targets your head with a shoe – they’re digital.
When a child signs up for an online game, creates a new user profile on an app, or shares the latest trending video, they innocently leave traces of identifiable information. A school name here, a date of birth there; a photo that shows their home, a school uniform, or a location tag; these tiny details can be used to paint a more robust picture of your child's identity. They don’t seem like much on their surface, but a deeper dive will reveal that when used together, they form a trail that anyone – from friend’s and future employers to hackers and predators – can follow (1).
Unlike dirty floors, you can’t clean digital footprints up so easily.
Why it Matters:
Children typically think in ‘right now’. Instant gratification and the FOMO principle (Fear of Missing Out) compel them to freely disclose personal identifiable information to gain access to the latest app or service. It’s unlikely that they consider a university admissions officer will browse their social media for a character assessment, or a future employer scrolling through old posts during a recruitment process (2), so they definitely don’t consider strangers who may be paying a little too much attention today. Trade my home address for the latest downloadable content? All yours, sketchy website!
What Parents Can Do:
As with everything, Communicate! Teach children that privacy isn’t as simple as ‘keeping secrets’, but a necessary act to ensure the safety and security of themselves and their family.
Be Aware: Kids have a natural tendency to be naïve about the dangers around them, but parents should not rely on the same crutch. As a parent, be involved in their online activity to establish suitable guidelines. Doing so allows them to feel that they’ve earned a sense of privacy and fosters a relationship of transparency (3) rather than one of distrust.
Be the Example: When you, as a parent, feel the need to post photos and videos of every vacation, social activity, and achievement, you’ve officially become a part of the phenomenon known as ‘sharenting’(4). Sharenting creates an environment for children where ‘sharing everything’ is seen as normal. Practice good habits on and offline so that your kids can see you as the example to follow. This will educate them on the kinds of activities that can leave them exposed, and hopefully prevent them from taking an innocent selfie that captures your credit card lying on the table in full view.
Always remember, every mouse-click, photo-share, and video-upload leaves crumbs that even Hansel and Gretal could appreciate. The only difference is that digital crumbs are far more likely to be used for something unauthorized than eaten by birds. A child’s online experience should feel like a playground – an environment for creativity, safety, and fun.
Don’t allow the digital playground to become a permanent record that will follow your child long after the fun and games are over.
Nakia Pearson is the Visual Content and Training Officer for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Bermuda. One of his favorite fairy tales is ‘The Naughty Boy’ by Hans Christian Andersen.
Further Reading and Resources