Have you ever heard someone tell you, “What you post on social media, is never truly deleted?”

Well, they aren’t wrong, the internet can be a horribly scary place. Anyone can hack you, and get into your accounts. As well as when you are going to get a job, or even go to college. They can find you on social media and do deep research on you to see if you are even a responsible human being to be a member of them.  

According to brennancenter.org, “This is not surprising; as the U.S. Supreme Court has said, social media platforms have become “for many . . . the principal sources for knowing current events, . . . speaking and listening in the modern public square, and otherwise exploring the vast realms of human thought and knowledge” — in other words, an essential means for participating in public life and communicating with others. “ 

You now might be wondering, what more can go wrong with social media? 

• People who use it are more likely to socially compare themselves to others.

• Research has shown that it can increase feelings of depression and anxiety.

• It can present false narratives about others and facts that cannot be easily verified.

• We actually do not know who is on the other end of a social media account. 

• Can be used as a tool of hate (spreading racism, homophobia, classism, etc.)…

• Can expose children to developmentally inappropriate material. It can even lead to addiction. 

Fake news being spread is also a major factor in what can be hidden in social media. The media can give you so many points of view on everything in life, it can even cause you to rethink your own mindsets.  

Now, I’m not telling you to stop using social media, but I am asking you to be highly careful. Take action to be conscious about what you’re doing with what you are posting, or even saying.