Comments to Consequences: What You Post Online Can Stick Forever

By: Caitlin Franklin | Seasonal Public Relations Intern | Digital4Good

We all know the saying “Think before you speak,” but in the digital age, it may be more important to think before you post.

Social media provides us with a platform to express our opinions, share our favorite memes, our latest selfies, and also vent a little. There’s a catch, though. What you say online is not just vanishing into thin air. Whether it’s a tweet, a comment on TikTok or YouTube, it can exist forever, long after you’ve moved on and forgotten.

There’s a lot to learn about how digital footprints can leave lasting marks, and why it matters more than ever to talk about.

The Internet Never Forgets

You may think what you post on Snapchat or your private Instagram account is here today and gone tomorrow, but that’s not really the case. Screenshots, saved messages, and archived content tend to hang out much longer than you’d expect. All those “private” accounts? A lot less private than you might think.

Just ask the Harvard students who were denied their spots. In 2017, Harvard University withdrew admissions offers from at least 10 students who posted memes mocking sexual assault and the Holocaust in a private Facebook group chat. The messages contained crude jokes, and even though it wasn’t public, it still proved problematic.

Employers Are Watching

Social media has become the replacement for the background check. According to a 2018 survey by CareerBuilder, 70% of employers use social media to screen candidates before hiring, and 54% throw out the application of candidates based on what they found. That one party picture? That sarcastic tweet? It can be the difference between an offer and a rejection.

Even if you’re already working, what you do online can affect promotions, partnerships, and your work reputation. The bottom line is, if you wouldn’t use a phrase in a job interview, think twice before posting it.

Words Can Hurt… and Spread

Social media can connect people, but it can also amplify damage. In 2022, the Pew Research Center said that 46% of U.S. teens have been affected by cyberbullying, such as being name-called, having false rumors spread about you, or getting an explicit photo you never asked for. Online, what might appear to be “just a joke” can leave real emotional bruises.

What’s more? You may potentially be held liable for content that you repost or like. Your engagement is important, and occasionally, your silence can speak volumes.

Your Digital Footprint = Your Future

Your social profile is a narrative, and you have control over what that narrative says. According to the Illinois CPA Society, social networking can boost your career, but, all too easily, can also damage it. Posts from years earlier have haunted professionals in job interviews or public controversies.

Take a step back and ask yourself: “If someone Googled me right now, would I like what they find?”

So, What Can You Do?

The point isn’t to scare you away from social media, it’s to help you use it better. Here’s how to safeguard your future without deleting all of your accounts:

• Think before you post. Ask: Is this kind? Is this necessary? Would I say it face-to-face?
• Do a digital clean-up. Scroll through posts and delete whatever no longer reflects your identity.
• Use privacy settings, but don’t use them as a crutch. Treat anything and everything you post online as if it were going to be shared.
• Pause before you comment. In some cases, no response is the best response.
• Google yourself. What does someone see when they search your name?

Social media is a strong tool, but with great power comes great responsibility. The internet may seem like a casual place to network, vent, and post memes, but please keep in mind that comments can lead to consequences.

So, the next time you go to post something, ask yourself: “Is this something Future Me will thank me for?”

Odds are, that little pause could save you a lot of anguish down the road.

Take Action with Digital4Good

The internet is what we make it. Each comment, post, and share says something about who we are in the digital age, so let’s make it something positive.

Be a difference maker with the Digital4Good movement. Use your voice to share kindness, to stand up for others, and to lead with purpose online. Visit Digital4Good to find out how you can help make a smarter, safer internet for all.