At ScoresMatter, we want to help you make the right digital first impression- perhaps its to lenders, prospective employers, or even new friends. We believe the best way to do this is by improving the Digital You.

What is the Digital You?

The Digital You is a portrait of everything you do that is quantifiable by data. So while it isn’t necessarily the real you, it does drive what the world thinks about you.

Why Does the Digital You Matter?

Every time you post on social media, purchase an item online or browse your favourite website you are leaving data behind. There are even companies that create data about you when you are offline. Today this data is a “commodity as important as oil” (Dean Armstrong, Lead QC).

With your data, companies are able to construct a version of what they perceive to be the Digital You. They then use this information to make both big and small decisions about you.

Have you experienced THIS situation in the past?

You and a friend are speaking about a new set of headphones that you would like to purchase. That night, as you scroll through Facebook, your newsfeed fills your display with ads for headphones.  How could these advertisers have known?

While the natural thought would be that companies are somehow listening to your conversation, evidence suggested in a Wall Street Journal article may be enough to manoeuvre the blame of targeted ads to something that on the surface seems less sinister but is a lot scarier in reality.

The truth is, that companies are becoming so advanced at tracking what you do on and offline, listening to what you say would be a waste of their resources. According to Antonio Garcia Martinez, Facebook’s former ad- target product manager, “They would need to understand the context of what you are saying—not just listen for words”, a process that he states “would strain even the resources of the NSA”.

This example only scratches the surface of the potential that the Digital You holds. Outside of what you buy, this data is being used to influence elections and will even be used to determine premiums on your insurance. China is already headed towards a future where a person’s data is used to determine the treatment a citizen receives by their government and peers.

While some of these practices are not yet standard, understanding the Digital You is the key to having control over the way the world perceives you. It isn’t necessarily something you should be scared of, but like any part of your identity it should be something you want to control.

So go ahead, take the opportunity to meet the Digital You. It has the potential to be an eyeopening experience into the way others perceive you.

Stay tuned for part 2, where we cover what makes up the Digital You.