This week for our lecture, we had the privilege of listening to Jesse Miller. Jesse spoke to us about the importance of privacy and safety surrounding technology and the internet within schools. It was a very engaging topic. We were able to learn about the many ways our online identities can hinder the careers and even the hiring process of a teacher. Growing up, I remember we used to have school presentations or assemblies about the negative affects of excessive social media usage. I always paid attention, but I never really believed that these things would affect me personally. That is until Jesse came to speak to us!
Jesse also went on to talk about numerous examples of teachers who experienced implications regarding technology. For example, a teacher somewhere in the US was fired for sexting a student. This form of sexual abuse is a lot more easily identified with today’s technology. Authorities are able to dig deep into our online data wherever they please. Jesse stressed that although this example was an extreme case, it’s important to take note that our online identities aren’t always as private as we think they are.
Prior to starting the B.Ed program this year, I actually had the idea to google my name and see what I could find. There wasn’t anything juicy, as I have usually kept my real life separate from my social media life growing up. However I did find a few pictures associated with an old account of mine that I felt didn’t need to be there any longer (pictures with old friends, some truly bad selfies, etc). I tried to delete the account where the pictures originated, but they still appeared when I googled myself.
So if I ever need this for future reference:
You can contact Google to delete any outdated or unwanted Google searches or images of yourself! I was able to make a report, and they were taken down within a few days. You just click on the Google Image > click the three dots under the picture > click “Get Help” > click “Fix problems & request removals” > click “remove your personal information from google” and voila, problem solved.
As I already stated, I generally keep my personal life separate from social media, so I don’t think I should have any issues with this in the future. But it’s definitely a really good thing to keep in the back of my mind for if I ever need to do any spring cleaning of my online identity! So thanks, Jesse, for keeping us all in check!