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Think of the last time you had a Snapchat memory flashback<\/a> pop up as a notification or scrolled through your Instagram archived posts. Usually, there\u2019s an instant flash of embarrassment that often makes us treat our past selves like something to hide or erase indefinitely.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a modern impulse to scrub<\/a> our digital footprint<\/a>, the trail we leave behind through our online activities, clean from existence. Yet, doing so erases who we once were, and it strips us of a valuable tool for understanding who we are becoming.\u00a0<\/p>\n That initial reaction, whether it\u2019s cringe, humiliation or maybe even nostalgia, overlooks the true value of having those moments to look back on. Instead of looking at our digital footprints as something to be ashamed of, we need to redefine old memories as valuable time capsules proving how far we\u2019ve grown \u2014 or where we\u2019ve stayed the same. They offer us an active tool to help us chart our present and future selves.\u00a0<\/p>\n Undoubtedly, many<\/a> of us have posted things that we wish could never be dug up again. Whether it was the anonymous messaging app we\u2019d post to our Snapchat stories, YOLO<\/a>, or our Instagram feed adorned<\/a> with flower crowns, chokers and an unhealthy reliance on face filters, we each have our fair share of regret. But it doesn\u2019t have to be something to feel embarrassed about. In fact, Generation Z has made this shared generational embarrassment as something to take with a light heart and an open mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n