You are looking at two or three cat videos on your feed, scrolling over stories. Right now, it looks like just another regular day spent digitally. Actually, though, every click, search, swipe you do creates a Digital Footprints trail. Whether or not you know about it, you are leaving a footprint that exposes far more about you than you could possibly know.

Though you seem to be anonymous, the truth is that your every action is noted. Search for new shoes; soon you will be surrounded with shoe advertising everywhere. Visit a travel website, and soon your social feed will be showing ads for flights. That is not coincidental; it is the result of your online behaviors being compiled, analyzed, and put up for bid.

Not only what you buy, though. Your trips to websites, the time you spend there, the links you click—all of these components taken together create something more. Usually without your own knowledge, every app and every website you log into discreetly captures fragments of your digital life.

And not just grownups under observation here. Of your children,? They are under tracking as well. From games and webpages to instructional applications, children’s digital footprints start to show straight away. And since most of them lack awareness of privacy, those profiles form without most youngsters even knowing it.

Not all nasty, though, is it. There is some tracking planned to be helpful. Faster log-ins, customized services, recommendations based on your preferences—all of which rely on data collecting. But when an app asks for permissions it does not need—such as access to your camera for a flashlight app—there is cause for concern.

What then should you do regarding it? Start with looking at your app settings. When do we not need location services? Turn off them? Never let apps access your camera or contacts unless absolutely necessary. Use browsers and search engines that respect your privacy; avoid tests and random websites demanding too much personal information.

You don’t have to preserve your privacy by hermit-style behavior. To be precisely clear. Change simple things and take charge of what you present. Your digital footprint is up to you; it is not a complete road map of your life; how much you let people view.