Review

This looks like it would be very informative and relevant to youth (and other ages) in today's technologically saturated environment.  Timely and insightful, this information may open our sometimes-blind eyes to the trail we leave every time we take a digital step.

Digital Footprint: Watch Where You Step.

Dec. 2010. 21min. Learning Zone Express, DVD, $79.95. Grades 9-12. 
REVIEW.  First published February 18, 2011 (Booklist Online).

Your digital footprint (“data trace left by activity in a digital environment”) can affect your life in both positive and negative ways, according to this production, which explains how daily digital activities (including Internet, mobile phones, ATM machines, surveillance cameras, and more) are recorded. In an authoritative but nonpreachy manner, the principal narrator explains the concept of digital identity, talks about sexting and social networking, and offers advice about how to use technology in safe, productive ways. Intercutting the information are interviews with teenagers providing real-life examples of friends and others who experienced the consequences of posting embarrassing pictures online or inappropriate Facebook messages. Social-network privacy settings and picture tagging are discussed, as are ways social media is useful for highlighting accomplishments and developing professional networks. Several references to reactions from colleges or prospective employers make this production useful for older teens, but younger viewers and even adults will find the tips helpful.

— Lucinda Whitehurst