Media & Information Literacy Grade 6: Data Privacy Your Digital Footprint

Grade 6 Media & Information Literacy Study Guide Topic: Data Privacy: Your Digital Footprint

1. The Driving Question

"If you post a photo of your new sneakers on Instagram, tag your school, and then delete it a week later, is it really gone—or could a stranger still find it years from now? How do companies and people track what you do online, and why should you care?"

This isn’t just about "being careful online"—it’s about understanding how every click, like, and share leaves a trail that can be collected, sold, or even used against you. By the end of this guide, you’ll know how to see your own digital footprint and decide what to keep private.

2. The Core Idea — Built, Not Listed

Imagine your digital life is like a snowball rolling down a hill. Every time you log into a game, search for a meme, or let an app use your location, you’re adding another layer of snow. At first, it’s small—just a few flakes. But over time, that snowball grows, picking up speed and collecting everything in its path: your favorite songs, your birthday, even the route you take to school. Companies, hackers, and even future employers can see that snowball long after you’ve moved on.

Your digital footprint is the record of everything you do online—both the things you choose to share (like a TikTok video) and the things you don’t realize you’re sharing (like your phone tracking your location). Unlike a real footprint in the sand, this one doesn’t wash away with the tide. It’s stored in databases, sold to advertisers, and sometimes stolen by people who want to trick you.

Key Vocabulary: - Digital Footprint Definition: The trail of data you leave behind when using the internet, including posts, searches, and location history. Example: When you use a school Chromebook to research "how to draw a dragon," Google saves that search—even if you don’t click on any links. A week later, YouTube might recommend dragon-drawing tutorials. Note: In high school, you’ll learn about "metadata" (data about your data, like the time/date of a text), which is part of your footprint but often invisible.

• Cookies Definition: Small files websites save on your device to remember your preferences or track your activity. Example: If you visit a shoe website and later see ads for those same shoes on Instagram, that’s cookies at work. (Not the chocolate-chip kind.) Note: In college, you’ll study "third-party cookies," which track you across websites (e.g., Facebook following you to news sites).

• Data Broker Definition: A company that collects and sells your personal information to other businesses. Example: A data broker might sell your age, address, and favorite video games to a toy company, which then sends you catalogs in the mail. Note: In the real world, data brokers operate with little regulation—some even sell "risk scores" to landlords or employers.

• Encryption Definition: A way to scramble information so only the intended recipient can read it. Example: When you see a-in your browser’s address bar, it means your messages to that site are encrypted (like a secret code only you and the website can understand). Note: In high school cybersecurity classes, you’ll learn how encryption can be broken—and why some governments ban it.

3. Assessment Translation

How This Appears on State Tests (Grade 6): - Multiple Choice: Questions about identifying types of personal data (e.g., "Which of these is not part of your digital footprint? A) Your Instagram username B) Your home address C) Your favorite ice cream flavor D) Your school’s Wi-Fi password"). Distractor Pattern: The wrong answers often include things that seem private (like a password) but aren’t part of your footprint, or things that aren’t private (like a username) but are. - Short Answer: "Explain one way your digital footprint could affect you in the future. Give an example." Proficient Response: "My digital footprint could affect me if I apply for a job someday. For example, if I posted mean comments online when I was younger, a boss might see them and decide not to hire me." Developing Response: "It could be bad." (Too vague—doesn’t explain how or give an example.) - Evidence-Based Writing: "Read this scenario: Jamal posts a video of himself dancing on TikTok. A week later, he sees an ad for dance classes on YouTube. How did the ad find Jamal? Use details from the text to support your answer." What Teachers Look For: - Mentions cookies or tracking (not just "the internet knows"). - Explains the process (e.g., "TikTok shared his data with advertisers"). - Avoids conspiracy theories (e.g., "The government is watching me").

Model Proficient Response (Short Answer): "My digital footprint could affect me when I’m older because colleges or jobs might check it. For example, if I post a lot of videos complaining about homework, a college might think I’m not serious about school. Even if I delete the videos later, someone could have saved them. That’s why I should think before I post."

4. Mistake Taxonomy

Mistake 1: The "Delete = Gone" Myth - Question: "If you delete a post on social media, is it completely erased from the internet? Explain your answer." - Common Wrong Response: "Yes, because I deleted it." (Assumes deletion removes all copies.) - Why It Loses Credit: Doesn’t account for screenshots, caches, or data brokers. Tests require understanding that deletion-erasure. - Correct Approach: 1. Acknowledge that the post is gone from your account. 2. Explain that others might have saved it (e.g., friends taking screenshots). 3. Mention that some apps keep data even after deletion (e.g., Snapchat’s "Memories" feature). 4. Example: "If I delete a photo from Instagram, my friends might have already downloaded it, or Instagram might still have it in their servers."

Mistake 2: The "No One Cares About Me" Assumption - Question: "Why should you care about your digital footprint if you’re not famous?" - Common Wrong Response: "Because hackers might steal my stuff." (Too vague—doesn’t connect to footprint.) - Why It Loses Credit: Doesn’t explain how a footprint is used against regular people. Tests want real-world consequences. - Correct Approach: 1. Start with a specific example: "Even if I’m not famous, companies use my data to target ads." 2. Explain how data brokers sell information: "A store might buy my search history to send me coupons for things I don’t need." 3. Connect to future risks: "Colleges or jobs might check my posts to decide if I’m responsible."

Mistake 3: The "Passwords Are Enough" Oversimplification - Question: "What’s one way to protect your privacy online besides using a strong password?" - Common Wrong Response: "Don’t post anything." (Unrealistic and doesn’t answer the question.) - Why It Loses Credit: Ignores other privacy tools (e.g., encryption, privacy settings). Tests want actionable strategies. - Correct Approach: 1. Name a specific tool: "Use two-factor authentication (2FA)." 2. Explain how it works: "It sends a code to my phone so even if someone guesses my password, they can’t log in." 3. Give an example: "Gmail offers 2FA—if I turn it on, a hacker would need my password and my phone to get into my account."

5. Connection Layer

• [Within Subject] Digital Footprint-Algorithmic Bias Why it matters: Your digital footprint trains the algorithms that recommend content to you. If you only click on cat videos, YouTube will show you more cat videos—and fewer news articles or science videos. Understanding your footprint helps you see why your feed looks the way it does.

• [Across Subjects] Digital Footprint-Probability (Math) Why it matters: Data brokers use probability to predict your behavior. For example, if 80% of 12-year-olds who search for "how to skateboard" also buy Vans shoes, a store might target you with Vans ads. Your footprint is the data that makes these predictions possible.

• [Outside School] Digital Footprint-Library Cards Why it matters: Your local library tracks what books you check out—but unlike companies, they can’t sell that data. Next time you visit the library, notice how they protect your privacy (e.g., deleting your checkout history after a few weeks). It’s a real-world example of how data should be handled.

6. The Stretch Question

"If a company like Google or TikTok lets you delete your data, but they also say they ‘may retain information for legal reasons,’ what does that really mean? Can you ever fully ‘opt out’ of your digital footprint—or is it like trying to un-bake a cake?"

Pointer Toward the Answer: - Companies often keep data for "legal reasons" (e.g., if they’re sued, they need records). This means even if you delete your account, some of your data might stay in their backups. - "Opting out" is like trying to erase a single snowflake from your snowball—it’s possible, but the rest of the snowball (your past activity) is still there. Some countries (like the EU) have laws (GDPR) that give you more control, but in the U.S., companies have more freedom. - The real question isn’t "Can I erase my footprint?" but "How can I make sure my footprint represents the real me—not just the mistakes I made at 12?" (Hint: Think about what you want future employers to see.)