Digital Footprints in Academic Life: A Phenomenological Exploration across Disciplinary Contexts
Abstract
As digitalization increases, questions surrounding personal visibility, control, and digital citizenship have become increasingly relevant, particularly for young people navigating online environments. University students, as active users of digital platforms, frequently encounter such challenges as they shape their identities and manage their presence online. This study examines how students in Türkiye interact with digital platforms and how they deal with the complexities of their online footprints within academic life, drawing on a phenomenological design. The data were collected through focus group discussions involving 21 students from three faculties -Engineering, Communication, and Economics and Administrative Sciences- and were analyzed using MAXQDA-24. The findings reveal significant differences in how students perceive and manage their digital assets. Communication students place particular emphasis on self-presentation and online reputation, while engineering students focus more on technical issues and data security. Economics students, in contrast, adopted a more pragmatic and risk-tolerant approach. These results highlight the need for context-sensitive approaches to digital literacy and provide guidance for future comparative studies involving diverse student groups.
Keywords
Digital footprints, academic life, digital visibility, student experience, phenomenological design.
Supporting Institution
Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK)
Project Number
1919B012209255
Ethical Statement
Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Manisa Celal Bayar University. The study was reviewed during the committee meeting held on December 7, 2022 (Decision No: 2022/10) and was deemed ethically appropriate. Formal approval was issued on December 14, 2022, under reference number E.447041. All participants voluntarily agreed to take part in the study. Informed verbal consent was obtained at the beginning of each focus group session and was audio-recorded using a voice recorder with participants’ permission.
Thanks
This study was supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) under the 2209-A University Students Research Projects Support Program (Project No: 1919B012209255). The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to TÜBİTAK for its support and to the participating students for their valuable insights and contributions during the focus group discussions.
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