Saying Too Much on Social Media

Back when we first started our Digital Kids Initiative here at CPYU, I would often tell parents that they need to let their kids know that whatever they post on social media is not only available for the entire world to see, but it will remain there forever. I was warning them about the impact of their digital footprint. As time went on, kids didn’t care what others saw, and they were posting all their innermost secrets so that others could see them. There are many reasons why this is so. But the fallout is now coming back to haunt them. I recently read about nine-teen-year-old Aly Drake, an aspiring college athlete who lost a potential spot on a university team when coaches scanned her social media posts and found them to be too negative. There are two takeaways from this story. First, WE need to be the ones listening to and helping our kids so that they don’t have to reach out to the entire world. And second, our kids need to know that there are things best kept in the family and close friend circle of trust.