10 Social Media Do's and Don'ts for High School Students

67% of admissions officers surveyed in 2015 said they had looked up college applicants on Facebook. And 40% didn’t like what they found.

These days, social media comes with great responsibility, whether you're just starting high school or finishing up college. On one hand, it’s a convenient way to communicate and connect with others...but on the other hand, it can be detrimental if used irresponsibly. It can impact the impression college admissions officers or employers have of you and cost you a spot at your dream school or a job.

The good news is that most of the bad consequences are preventable and easy to avoid with some foresight.

Here are 10 social media mistakes high school students should avoid...and keep in mind that social media circumstances vary by school, user and situation, so use your best judgement and think twice when you share something publicly.

Are you the parent of a high school student? We have tips for planning for college, writing college application essays, applying to and affording college at our site, http://yourcollegeconcierge.net. We help YOU help YOUR CHILD succeed.

Thanks for checking out our presentation!

1. 10#Social#Media#“Do’s#and#Don’ts”#
for#High#School#Students#
YourCollegeConcierge.net

2. 67%#of#admissions#officers#surveyed#in#2015#said#they#had#looked#up#college#applicants#
on#Facebook.#And#40%#didn’t#like#what#they#found.
These%days,%social%media%comes%with%great%responsibility,%whether%you're%just%star9ng%high%school%or%finishing%
up%college.%On%one%hand,%it’s%a%convenient%way%to%communicate%and%connect%with%others...but%on%the%other%
hand,%it%can%be%detrimental%if%used%irresponsibly.%It%can%impact%the%impression%college%admissions%officers%or%
employers%have%of%you%and%cost%you%a%spot%at%your%dream%school%or%a%job.
The%good%news%is%that%most%of%the%bad%consequences%are%preventable%and%easy%to%avoid%with%some%foresight.
Here%are%12%social%media%mistakes%high%school%students%should%avoid...and%keep%in%mind%that%social%media%
circumstances%vary%by%school,%user%and%situa9on,%so%use%your%best%judgement%and%think%twice%when%you%share%
something%publicly.
YourCollegeConcierge.net

3. Bullying(is(a(serious,(vicious(problem(in(schools(today.(Hateful(behavior(
and(words(can(cause(violence,(depression(and(unrest(in(a(student(body.(If(
a(student(turns(to(social(media,(blogs(or(other(online(spaces(to(post(
hur<ul(comments,(the(risks(are(immeasurable.(
In(many(cases,(a(student(will(face(expulsion(as(well(as(serious(criminal(
prosecu?on.(This(can(be(a(nasty(record(that(forever(scars(your(reputa?on.
YourCollegeConcierge.net
1
DON’T be a bully

4. YourCollegeConcierge.net
2
DON’T trash your
teachers
Similar(to(bullying,(students(that(post(
nega?ve(comments(online(
about(teachers((or(post(embarrassing(
photos(of(them)(are(also(taking(a(serious(
risk.(Not(only(do(your(instructors(have(a(
right(to(privacy(and(respect,(but(you(
never(know(which(one(of(your(teachers(
will(hold(the(keys(to(a(great(
recommenda?on(for(your(college,(
internship,(or(job.
High(school(seniors(should(be(careful(
not(to(nega?vely(post(about(specific(
colleges(or(geographical(areas.(
Admissions(officers(thoroughly(
inves?gate(the(social(media(ac?vity(and(
personali?es(of(college(applicants.(One(
nega?ve(tweet(could(be(the(death(of(
your(college(acceptance.(

5. YourCollegeConcierge.net
DON’T post illegal activities
Okay,(okay...high(school(and(college(are(?mes(well(known(for(experimenta?on(
and(explora?on(with(ac?vi?es(and(substances.(But(when(a(photo(or(video(goes(
up(online(of(you(caught(in(the(act(doing(something(you(wouldn’t(want(your(
mom,(teacher(or(police(to(see...you(open(yourself(up(to(expulsion(as(well(as(
criminal(prosecu?on.
And(not(just(now,(but(for(the(REST(of(your(life.(Even(if(your(profile(is(set(to(
private,(a(friend(can(download(and(save(incrimina?ng(photos(that(he(or(the(
authori?es(can(use(against(you(in(the(future.
Go(through(the(content(on(your(social(media(profiles(ever(so(oNen(and(look(at(it(
through(the(eyes(of(an(employer(or(your(parent(to(make(sure(all(of(it(is(legit.
3

6. This(goes(for(anyone,(not(just(students.(This(is(for(your(safety,(not(because(it(
could(cost(you(a(job(or(hurt(your(reputa?on.(If(you(post(anything(that(tells(the(
public(your(loca?on,(your(address,(your(phone(number,(or(any(other(personal(
informa?on,(you(have(no(idea(who’s(eyes(could(find(that.(
For(example,(a(friend(of(ours(and(mother(of(a(high(school(senior(shared(that(
her(daughter(posted(her(class(schedule(to(Facebook(when(she(first(got(it.(She(
wanted(to(share(with(friends...but(that(schedule(included(her(social(security(
number,(student(ID,(full(name,(birthday(and(other(informa?on(that(could(
immediately(be(accessed(by(anyone(without(any(effort.(Her(iden?ty(could(be(
stolen(in(a(second(from(that(one(“harmless”(post.
YourCollegeConcierge.net
4
DON’T post confidential information

7. Like(not(sharing(your(personal(informa?on,(you(also(want(
to( beware( of(sharing( your( specific( loca?on( with( your(
social(checkUinsUUUespecially(if(you’re( alone.(It( makes( it(
easy(to(connect(with(nearby(friends(or(keep(your(parents(
informed( of( where( you( are,( but( it( makes( it( easy( for(
predators(to(follow(you,(too.(
YourCollegeConcierge.net
5
Don’t share your specific location

8. Imagine(asking(your(teacher(to(give(you(an(extension(on(your(essay(paper(
because(you(need(to(visit(your(“sick”(grandmother.(Instead,(you(go(to(a(
concert...and(your(teacher(finds(out(from(hearing(about(it(from(a(status(
update(that(gets(seen(by(your(friends.(Guess(what(your(grade(is(going(to(be.
This(is(the(same(when(it(comes(to(lying(about(professional(or(academic(
achievements(if(you’re(applying((to(college(or(an(internship.(Admissions(
officers(and(employers(WILL(inves?gate.
YourCollegeConcierge.net
6
DON’T lie

9. A(threat(alone,(even(if(you(don’t(carry(it(out,(is(unbelievably(serious.(Even(
if(it’s(an(anonymous,(empty(threat(in(an(obscure(online(forum(full(of(
strangers...it(will(raise(red(flags.(As(soon(as(authori?es(have(located(a(
threat,(they(have(the(right(to(inves?gateUUUand(they(will.
A(University(of(Maryland(student(was(arrested(aNer(pos?ng(his(
inten?ons(to(“kill(enough(people(to(make(it(to(na?onal(news”(on(Reddit.(
Police(arrested(him(in(his(dorm(room,(even(though(he(had(no(firearms(or(
weapons(on(him(at(the(?me.
YourCollegeConcierge.net
7
DON’T threaten violence

10. "Whenever(I(evaluate(a(poten?al(employee,(I(always(take(a(look(at(what(is(
publicly(visible(on(their(Facebook(profile,"(says(Ryan(Cohn,(vice(president(of(
social/digital(opera?ons(at(What's(Next(Marke?ng.("On(two(separate(
occasions,(I(have(rejected(entry(level(prospects((finishing(their(senior(year(of(
college)(for(featuring(firearms(in(their(profile(picture.(Both(were(qualified(in(
terms(of(experience(and(otherwise(would(have(been(worthy(of(an(
interview."((Source:(Mashable.com)
If(you’re(applying(to(work(at(a(local(restaurant(or(you’re(a(high(school(student(
applying(to(college,(your(social(media(profiles(are(HIGHLY(likely(to(be(looked(at(
as(part(of(the(decisionUmaking(process.(So(making(sure(your(photos(and(
updates(are(clean(is(key.(If(you(find(you(get(tagged(in(photos(that(you(wouldn’t(
want(an(employer(or(college(admissions(officer(to(see,(make(sure(you(remove(
the(tag(as(soon(as(possible.
YourCollegeConcierge.net
8
DO keep a professional profile

11. Never(rely(on(the(privacy(sebngs(on(social(media(networks(100%.(Although(
most(of(the(networks(update(you(with(privacy(improvements,(the(changes(are(
hard(to(follow.(However(diligent(you(are(in(protec?ng(your(social(media(
iden?ty,(assume(anything(you(post(is(fair(game.
If(you(don’t(want(something(to(be(seen,(don’t(post(it(on(the(Internet.
YourCollegeConcierge.net
9
DO maintain privacy

12. Look,(it’s(not(rocket(science,(and(you’ve(probably(heard(most(of(this(before.(
But(it(doesn’t(hurt(to(remember(to(use(common(sense(and(think(twice(before(
sharing(your(update(with(the(world.((
In(the(moment(it(can(seem(harmless.(It’s(the(moments(aNer(they(can(seem(
much(harsher,(especially(if(it’s(seen(by(the(eyes(of(someone(you(weren’t(
thinking(of(at(the(?me…(even(years(later.
YourCollegeConcierge.net
10
DO use common sense