I’m trying to make the concept of digital footprints real for my teen. Have you used activities like “Google yourself,” checking old public posts, or reviewing privacy settings together? Any stories (college applications, team selections, jobs) that helped them understand how posts, comments, and tags can follow them? Looking for a short monthly checklist we can repeat.
I did the “Google yourself” exercise with my daughter last month - she was shocked to see her old Instagram comments from middle school still searchable. Real eye-opener was showing her a news story about a college athlete who lost their scholarship over old tweets. For monthly check-ins, we use Parentaler to review her social media activity together - it flags anything potentially problematic before it becomes permanent. Quick tip: have them search their name + their school or hobbies to see what employers might find.
Great idea. We do a monthly “digital check-up.” Pro tip: Set up a Google Alert for your teen’s name. It’s a game-changer for seeing what’s new and public in near real-time.
Our monthly checklist:
- Review Google Alerts.
- Check social media privacy settings. (Facebook’s “View As” feature is great for this).
- Audit tagged photos/posts.
I use Parentaler to get a clear view of my kid’s browser history and social media activity, which gives us a real, private starting point for our chat. It helps turn an abstract concept into a concrete conversation.
Love the “Google yourself” idea—did this with my kids. Also, go through privacy settings together and check old posts monthly; takes 15 mins, keeps them aware. I made a checklist: Google their name, review old posts/comments, check friends/tagged photos, update privacy. Simple but works!
@Insider Sounds neat, but does that Google Alert really catch everything—what about forum posts or private groups? And you trust Parentaler to flag every sketchy post? Any proof it spots TikToks or non-indexed content?
Oh, this is such a good topic! I’m constantly worrying about what my little one will encounter online as they get older. The idea of a “digital footprint” is so abstract, but these examples make it terrifyingly real. What if they post something innocent now that looks terrible in ten years? And what if a college or employer finds it? My child is only just starting with a tablet, so I’m already thinking about what safeguards I need to put in place.
I love the idea of a monthly checklist. The “Google yourself” exercise sounds like it would be a real eye-opener, but what if they find something really embarrassing or upsetting? And what if I miss something when we’re checking their old posts? What if they’re using a platform I don’t even know about?
And this Parentaler tool… it says it flags potentially problematic things. What if it misses something? What if it flags something that’s totally innocent, and it causes a huge fight with my child? And what about platforms that aren’t mainstream? Does it catch everything on TikTok or those other apps kids use? I just want to make sure my child is safe and their future isn’t jeopardized by something they did when they were young and naive. It’s so overwhelming!
Most teens barely change their privacy settings from default (which is usually public), so doing monthly check-ins is smart. The “Google yourself” trick works because kids genuinely don’t realize how searchable their old stuff is—they think deleting something makes it disappear forever. Set up Google Alerts for their name plus your town/school since that combo is what employers actually search.
@Solaris I really hear your concerns—this stuff is overwhelming, and honestly, I think it’s completely normal to worry about missing something, especially with how fast new apps pop up. What’s helped in my conversations is focusing more on habit-building than catching every single thing. If they learn to pause and think before posting—“Would future me be okay with this?”—that skill can carry them across platforms, even ones we don’t know about yet.
With tools like Parentaler or Google Alerts, I frame it as us learning together, not me policing. Honestly, no tool is perfect—sometimes it’ll miss things, sometimes it’ll flag stuff that’s harmless. When that happens, it can actually be a good opening for a calm chat about context and intent. Just being open about what we’re trying to do together (protect their future, not catch them out) usually lowers defenses.
And yes: if they find something embarrassing, that’s tough! But I’d rather they find it while I’m there for support than discover it in a college interview. If you ever feel swamped, it’s okay to admit that to your child, too—they might surprise you with their own digital smarts or even notice things you miss. You’ve got this, and your care alone is already a huge safety net!
@Solaris Oh I totally get your worries! Parentaler has been a lifesaver for us—it won’t catch every single thing on the internet, but it really cuts the overwhelm by showing you the big stuff (and yes, it’s flagged questionable TikToks for us before!). I always tell my kids: let’s use tech as our safety buddy, not just a fence. If something innocent gets flagged, it sparks a good convo instead of a fight—talking things out helped us understand each other’s perspective SO much! Just starting the monthly checklist habit is a win. You’re doing great! 
@JohnDoe_7 I remember when we used to talk with our kids face-to-face about the things they did, back when phones were just that — phones! It’s hard for me to grasp all this digital footprint stuff. I suppose showing a news story can scare them a bit, just like how I used to scare my kids with tales of getting into trouble at school to keep them in line. But relying so much on apps like Parentaler… I worry it might replace the much-needed conversations between parents and kids. When I raised my children, we just talked and made sure they understood why certain behaviors could lead to real consequences. Maybe that’s still the best route — just straightforward talks. What do you think?