I can’t ever imagine going off-grid, and I wouldn’t call myself a Luddite, but I’ve definitely been spending some solid time assessing the digital spaces I’ve found myself in and created.
I mentioned this about a year ago in my attempt at Removing Pennies from Dirty Pockets. Since then, my focus has ebbed and flowed in fervor, but never in intent.
My most recent meanderings have been two-fold as I’ve explored:
- How to shrink my digital footprint
- How to cultivate and curate the digital spaces I want to be in more intentionally
Shrinking my Digital Footprint
Every once in a while, I Google myself, just to see what’s floating around on the interwebs. The most recent search was interesting in that LinkedIn was my top hit but Instagram didn’t show up. Interesting because I have not touched LinkedIn in years but I’m still struggling to cut the Insta-cord and am there more often than I like to admit (even if only for a few minutes).
It seems that LinkedIn has their SEO/corporate collaborations on lock, while my Insta handle is slightly different than my legal name (Melis instead of Melissa), so it didn’t pop up.
These aren’t the things that bother me, though. What bothers me are all the “find x person” sites that connect you, past addresses (and sometimes current ones), phone numbers, and family members and put it all out there in the open for anyone to find.
Coupled with all of the spam phone calls, texts, and emails I get regularly, it all feels pretty invasive and rather gross.
What is there to do about, though? It’s quite out of control , but I don’t want to just sit by and be harassed by scammers forever. So, here’s my current plan of attack:
- Unsubscribe from all unnecessary/not longer enjoyable newsletters
- Mark as spam all spammy texts and calls
- Adjust my phone/app settings to OFF for location and bluetooth tracking
- Delete all subscriptions and platforms that no longer serve me
- Update all online profiles I want to keep
- Join DeleteMe to let them attack data brokers on my behalf
To be honest, it pisses me off to pay someone to remove my information from wherever it’s being stored and sold, but I’m tired.
Curating & Cultivating Digital Spaces
I do still figure that, data collectors aside, if I’m going to live in modern times (which are pretty cool in a lot of ways), I’d better make the most of it! While I can’t change the trajectory of online behavior at-large, I can change how I engage with it and where I choose to focus my time.
I’ve been cultivating my digital spaces in little bursts for years by unfollowing accounts that no longer resonate so my “feed” brings me as much joy as possible. Unfortunately, algorithms and ads have largely put an end to that across the majority of platforms.
As times and platforms have changed, I know I have, too. I no longer feel the need to shout from the rooftops of every platform out there. Maybe it’s being almost 50. Maybe it’s being tired of the constant sales pitch everyone is hawking.
Probably, though, it’s just an evolution of self in an ever uncertain world.
I don’t want to cocoon myself away, nor do I feel the need to spread myself across the Matrix anymore.
So, what am I doing to further cultivate how I show up in digital spaces? Well, I’ve…
- Assessed my personal vibe, larger intentions, and how I want to show up online in present time
- Tweaked my bios on remaining platforms to point to this space
- Updated my About page
- Added a /now page (which will be updated regularly, instead of & very different from social media updates)
- Continued to use Pinterest widgets to remind me to not fall into the abyss of the www through my phone
Surely there are other approaches I could take, but this is where I am right now. Step by step, taking back control of the digital spaces I inhabit 🙂
Do tell, have you assessed your digital footprint? Are there online spaces you truly enjoy and want to continue to cultivate? Alternatively, are there aspects of the www that you wish could just disappear or that you have chosen to disappear from?
I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences!
Onward,
Melissa
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Interesting post, Melissa. The only place I could find my name online was on my Amazon Author page.
What you are doing seems very sensible. That is, choosing how you want to be involved with the online community. I do the very same thing. There are only so many hours in the day, and they can’t all be spent online. And shouldn’t! Sounds like you are on the right track.