I’ve still not decided if this is a good thing or a bad thing.  It might be both.

My friend Ryan calls himself web shy.  He barely has a facebook and while I could imagine him being a great blogger he is fearful of blogs and most social media.  We are complete opposites.  I live on the web.  It’s where I keep my photos, my memories, my thoughts.   It’s where I get my news, watch my favorite shows, meet new people.  I spend more time connected to the web than is probably good for me and couldn’t imagine my life without all the tools it offers me.

Apparently a third of Web users under 25 (me, me!) claim they don’t care about their “digital tattoo” (personal info posted online that is easily found) and the items they post online, says Symantec.  They found that nearly two-thirds of those surveyed had uploaded personal photographs, while 79 percent had at least part of their address online and nearly half had their mobile phone numbers online.

Personal photos? Check. Address?  Well, I currently live where I work, so check.  Mobile phone number? Check.

So many of us digital natives have created online databanks of personal information about ourselves.  We’ve been on social networking sites for years.  We’ve blogged.  We’ve uploaded photos.  It’s just part of our lives.

However, quite a few surveyed were concerned about the negative impact their online imprint would have on their reputation and many wished they could erase things online.  No one wants to end up getting fired via facebook or because of their blog.  While we want to share and feel comfortable doing so, it seems many of us forget about the audience that does in fact exist.  We forget that their could be negative consequences to sharing online.

Personally, I am not unhappy with anything that is online under my name.  I do share a lot online and some of it very personal, but nothing is inappropriate.  I’ve found communities of like-minded people that I could not have found elsewhere.  I’ve also been smart enough to think about what I’m posting and doing before I’ve done it (always asking, would I be cool if my mom saw this?).  For me there has not yet been a negative side to sharing my life with the interwebs.

What about you?  Is there anything online you wish you could erase?  Do you think you share too much personal information online?