From the title of this post, most of you readers are probably wondering what in the world I’m talking about. I’ll tell you. It’s about the internet and our every day daily relationship with the world-wide web. In order to be fluent in this type of world, one must be able to navigate through the dozens of gates set up to “track us.”

That’s not of course to say that Big Brother is out there watching our every move and is going to find out why you’re watching My Little Pony videos on YouTube all day instead of doing something productive with your time, but there are ways you and I can leave a trail, a “digital footprint” if I may use some techy jargon, while we surf the internet.

To add to that, not only are we allowing internet sites like Google and various advertising companies use our browsing history to target us for more consumption and bombardment, but also shining a light on the kinds of things were vulnerable to. For example, let’s say I’m browsing through all the websites I’m a member of and then check my email when I’m finished. I would notice, as I’m sure most of you, that my inbox has flooded with countless “offers” and “special invitations” from all those sites where you just, say, bought a dress from or the newest John Green book. My point is that we have to be more careful and aware of the track we leave behind when we are using the internet. Our ability to become conscious web-users will help us to become fluent in the tongue-tying “language” of information we are exposed to at every corner we turn in the 21st century. Lastly, our ability to navigate ourselves as “digital citizens”  in our highly digitized, information-filled worlds, will help us to be more responsible of the way we present ourselves–our online reputation–to others.

This digital age comes with it’s advantages but also it’s curtains, and if we can be keen enough to pull back those drapes, we’ll be given back the wheel to our digital ride.