You can help your students with advice about posting on Social Media

A story this week caught my attention as it pointed out yet again the perils of posting things you shouldn’t be posting on social media. Cam Newton, the quarter back for the Carolina Panthers made some remarks to a female reporter, Jourdan Rodrigue of the Charlotte Observer, that got him in hot water. He ultimately apologized, but the reporter had to do some apologizing herself after some internet sleuths starting checking into her background and discovered some racially tinged tweets she had made 5 years earlier.

It seems like these stories have become regular occurrences and many people have lost their jobs over stupid things they have posted on social media. Teens today are posting constantly and it is important they know that once they post something a digital footprint remains even after that post has been taken down. Many College Admission offices are now scouring social media to vet students before they offer an acceptance letter.  In our Fall 2017 issue we have a feature story that discusses how Admissions is now using social media in this way. Here is a link: https://view.imirus.com/1167/document/12736/page/37

What can you do to help? When you hear about these stories mention them to your students and remind them that crazy pictures and risque comments they post might seem fun at the time but they can possibly come back to haunt them many years later. A rule of thumb might be to say, is what your posting something you would say to me, your School Counselor? If not, you may not want to post it!