Common Sense Media: Education: Trillion Dollar Footprint [Pdf]

Students learn that they have a digital footprint, which can be searched, shared, and seen by a large, invisible audience. Students then learn that they can take some control over their digital footprint based on what they post online. Students watch the video "The Digital Footprint" to learn how information online can easily get out of one's control. They then examine the blog posts, photos, and profiles of two fictional host applicants for a TV show called "Trillion Dollar Footprint" and decide which would make a more honest host who works well with others. A key message of the lesson is that although online information provides an incomplete picture of a person, it can still affect how others view that person.