Digital (Permanent) Footprint

I may be part of the last American generation to not have smartphones around until sometime in middle school. I am very appreciative of that fact as I have childhood memories of running around outside, playing make believe, and setting up forts in my attic instead of glued to a phone. I more than love having a smartphone now but I’m thankful my childhood was different.

I now use technology for school, work, social/communication, entertainment, and probably way too many other things. In many ways it makes life easier and allows more productivity but for each benefit, there is also risk of negative impact. That’s why it’s so important to regularly assess the emotional and mental strain and stress. In many ways, the internet adds more stress and burden that we weren’t meant to handle. We now have instant access to news updates, which means we’re constantly faced with issues outside of our control.

There is a developing concept called “digital wellbeing” that has many different definitions. One that I especially like is “The mindful balance between digital connectivity and digital unplugging.” (Corina Sas)

This is what I am aiming for - because the key to well being in anything is finding the right balance for yourself.  It may be different for different people and even for myself at different times in my life, but that is the goal I aim for. 

Like the prompt suggested, I decided to search for myself on Google. Some of my top hits were: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, VSCO, DePop account (which I didn’t know I had), and voter info. There was also some old/outdated information like my old jobs or old accounts I don’t use anymore, my personal info including my home address, age, and jobs I’ve held. It’s very scary how easily people can find info. Thankfully, I don’t have a bad image but I don’t like how easy it is to find all of my and my family’s personal information. 

There are tons and tons of articles and advice that are worth looking into. Here are some that I found: 11 Tips For a More Professional Social Media Presence; Remove Yourself from the Internet, Hide Your Identity, and Erase Your Online Presence; 8 Steps to Being (Almost) Completely Anonymous Online; How to Protect Your Privacy Online

I also recently learned about something called the National Day of Unplugging. Unplug Collaborative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that organizes the National Day of Unplugging. It started in 2009 as an awareness campaign that promotes a 24-hour respite from technology annually observed the first weekend in March.

Hopefully these will help you become more aware of your use of time and digital footprint just like they helped me. Now, I’m going to take a break from my electronics and go for a nature walk. You should too.

Diffusion of Innovation

Almost every invention, concept, or widespread cognitive process involves theory. These theories are depicted as a bell curve, with the pioneers or innovators at the top. These are the people who are the first to think about and discuss a new idea or thought. These are individuals who are willing to take chances, experiment, and learn along the way. The early adopters are often trendy people who appreciate trying new things such as new technological products. They are represented as you progress up the bell curve shape. The early majority phase develops to influencing the majority of society. 

The people now "pave the way for the employment of innovation in mainstream society and are members of the general population." As you progress along the curve, the late majority will get their chance to join the innovation bandwagon. These are people who saw the early majority participate and have a positive experience, and then decide to participate after the risk has been reduced and the product has less demand among the wider public. Finally, the laggards will be those who initially opposed innovation; these are risk-averse individuals who want to be cautious and undertake research prior to making purchases. Because the laggards take so long to adopt the new technology, it makes their daily jobs more difficult.

These phases, in my opinion, are interesting and provide society with a great deal of self-determination. This theory enables people to choose whether to take a risk, play it safe, or follow in the footsteps of their peers. This is one of the most relevant and interesting theories I've learned about so far because it truly applies to all aspects of life.

See more at https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/knowledge/other/diffusion-of-innovation/