Image source: Career Rocketeer.

In conventional terms, digital footprints are the digital ‘cookie crumbs’ that we all leave when we use some form of digital service, application, appliance, object or device, or in some cases as we pass through or by, this happens regardless of whether we are actually cognisant of this. We intuitively accept, when forced to think about it, that these traces exist and we somehow expect that, over time, the waves will wash over the digital footprints to erase them like the ones on the beach – but they are not. Like everything on the web, digital data cannot be washed away, it remains forever, but we could actually benefit from taking control of our own digital footprint.

Tony Fish My Digital Footprint

Am I oversharing and damaging my reputation or is it worse not to have an online presence at all?

While racist Tweets, sex tapes and rants about the boss certainly won’t do you any favours, it shouldn’t stop us being too anxious about our online identity.

After all if Shaun Sperling hadn’t posted this life-affirming clip of his ferosh tribute to Madonna’s ‘Vogue’ at his bar mitzvah in 1992, there would be slightly less joy in the world right now.

Expect LOTS more of this as the Millenials settle down in their careers.

Mr Sperling is now an attorney in Chicago. I hope he still strikes a pose.