Digital Footprints in Academic Life: A Phenomenological Exploration across Disciplinary Contexts

Journal of Learning and Teaching in Digital Age. Gazi University, Gazi Faculty of Education, Department of Computer and Instructional Technologies Teaching, Bosna Building Room 430, Yenimahalle, Ankara, Turkey 06500. e-mail: joltida.info@gmail.com; Web site: https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/joltida

Y

15

Foreign Countries; Undergraduate Students; Engineering; Economics; Communications; Intellectual Disciplines; Focus Groups; Computer Uses in Education; Computer Security; Privacy; Student Behavior; Digital Literacy; Student Attitudes; Internet; Web Sites; Computer Oriented Programs

2458-8350

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 (n=9), Communication (n=5), and Economics and Administrative Sciences (n=7)- 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. Six main themes emerged from the dataset: how students define their digital footprints, the platforms they use, the types of data they share, their awareness of privacy and security, their views on advantages and disadvantages, and their suggestions for raising awareness. These findings highlight the need for context-sensitive approaches to digital literacy, such as discipline-specific educational modules. These modules should combine technical proficiency with critical awareness of data policy and online visibility. In this context, the study provides guidance for future comparative research involving diverse student groups.

As Provided

2026

EJ1495408