A big part of our world is online and will continue to be so, whether it’s social connection, entertainment, inspiration, professional pursuits, or problem-solving. The first impression we make on others (and vice versa) is often online. We live in a search engine culture with information about people, things, and events readily available as long as we have internet access. Our “digital reputation” comprises all the information available online—not just the good stuff we want people to see—and it impacts how others perceive us. There is no magical division between online and offline, and our digital reputation is not separate from our real-world reputation.

A digital reputation is all the online information trails we leave. Just as our brain integrates information from different sensory systems to construct meaning, people synthesize all the information they find about us and form opinions about things like trustworthiness, personality, and even popularity.

When people form opinions, however, they rely more on what they already know and believe than on new information. New information is........

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