Everyone’s life changes, which is why it’s probably not a great idea to get a tattoo of your boy/girlfriend’s name on your arm (or face on your chest) in the first week of dating. Kind of awkward after the breakup, and might provoke some tricky questions when you find someone new. It’s common sense.
So why don’t we think about those pictures of us and our friends blotto on Granville Street last night the same way? They might not be the best images to represent us tomorrow, and could provoke some tricky questions from prospective employers, grad-school admissions boards or, of course, our families. (You know your mom’s on Facebook, right?)
What exactly is a digital tattoo?
We often think of the internet as ephemeral, like everything we say’ll disappear tomorrow under the flood of new stuff showing up in your Facebook feed. The problem is that’s not entirely true. The stuff you say, post, or share online, including images, videos, and personal data is (or can be) public and forever. So while it might seems harmless to post videos of you being hilariously drunk now, it’s kind of like getting a tattoo when you’re hilariously drunk. Neither ink on flesh nor videos on YouTube will magically disappear forever just before your potential employers start Googling you (which they will). You have to be mindful when you do things (or at least do your best to clean up after yourself later) because the Internet is public and forever, like a tattoo on your face.