You're scrolling on social media, or doing some research for a homework task and suddenly and ad pops up. And it's for the phone case you've been eyeing up for a little while. How did they know you wanted it? Does the internet know what you like? Well, in a way it does.
Every time you like a post, search for something online or even share a picture, you leave an online trail - this is called your digital footprint. Everything you do online creates information about you which can be used to build a picture of who you are, your likes and dislikes, and this can be really useful for companies and other groups who might want to sell you something or create content for people just like you.
Not only that, but because the information about you online tends to hang around, digital footprints can have consequences in the future - like when you're going for a job or making new friends. There's often a lot of information out there that people can access about what you've done in the past.
Remember that everything you post online will leave a mark, even if you later delete it. Before you press that share button, always think about the picture it helps paint of you - is it how you'd like it to be?
Are you curious to find out what the internet actually knows about you? Then take this Own it quiz to discover how big your digital footprint is!
