Digital Clean-up

Happy New Year!

Now that the new year is over and everyone has cycled through the resolutions they’re not going to keep (I know I had a few), it’s time to get organised and declutter our digital world.  All our apps and digital hardware are great for us when used properly but more often than not they become a distraction to us because that’s what they’ve been designed to do – grab and hold our attention no matter what we should be doing.

Here’s what you can do get on top of things:

Review your notifications

Notifications are designed to distract us and grab our attention and by default they’re almost always enabled when you install an app.  In some cases they’re re-enabled when an update is applied so it pays to review them and ensure you only enable the ones you really need to receive.  This will ensure you receive urgent or required notifications but aren’t distracted by anything pointless.

Remove unused apps

We often install apps for one reason or another but many don’t become an important part of our usual routine.  Some are infrequently used but provide some value and there are others that are used once and then never again.  Go through all the apps on your devices and remove those that are not used at least once a month.  This will keep space free on devices and reduce the amount clutter on your devices.  Remember, you can always install it again if you need it.

Device Health Check

Most devices have a device health check function.  This will free up space, ensure the battery is optimised, close unused apps and make sure the device is operating as well as possible.  This should be run on a regular basis but many people don’t.  It will help keep your devices working well and only takes a minute or so to run.

Update your online profiles

The new year is a good time to review your online profiles and make sure they’re up to date.  Over the course of a year you may have moved house, changed jobs, been on a holiday or anyone of a hundred different things.  Depending on your career or choice of social media apps this can be a quick update or can take some time but it’s worth doing.  Your digital profiles are how you present yourself to the world.  It’s also a good opportunity to review your ‘friends’ and make sure they’re relevant and people you know.

Review privacy and notification settings

Checking your privacy settings is another key part of keeping on top of your digital footprint.  Through the course of the year many applications will have introduced new functionality and changed their terms of service.  It pays to review the new functionality and make sure something previously changed hasn’t reverted back.  The last thing you want is something being published to ‘Everyone’ instead of it being private.

Check your security

As always keeping on top of your security is critical.  Now is a good time to reset passwords for the most important apps.  These should be reset regularly but most people don’t.  If you’re not using a password safe or some way to manage your passwords please strongly consider this so you can utilise different complex passwords for your logins.  Where possible enable two-factor authentication to ensure you have additional security across as many accounts as possible.

Create some good digital habits

All the things listed above are good to do to ensure you set yourself up and start the year right.  They are also good to do on a regular basis to keep your accounts well managed and secure.  Create a routine and calendarize it to ensure you keep on top of your accounts:

–          Change passwords quarterly

–          Review apps and remove unused monthly

–          Update profiles half-yearly

–          Restart devices weekly

–          Complete a device health check monthly

There are a number of things that can be done to maintain a good online profile, these are some of the main items to address.

For more information please contact me at enquiries@roadmapit.com.au