Social media is an important part of a teenager’s life. During the fall sports season, athletes have various thoughts to share on some sort of social media like Twitter. And there have been many instances where an athlete has been punished, either in school or on the playing field, because of inappropriate tweets. Many people use Twitter today as a way of broadcasting information, but there is also a side to Twitter that is thought to be used “privately” by many students. Although these tweets may seem private, they are very much public and can be seen by almost everyone. There were few events in past years that have brought serious consequences to the students involved with such tweets.
During the 2013 Girls’ Varsity Section 4 Swimming Sectionals, an athlete from Horseheads High School who has since graduated tweeted a very offensive screenshot of a conversation with her and her boyfriend trash talking the IHS Girls’ Swim Team, a team that she was competing against in the meet that day. The tweet was shown to USA Swimming officials, who were concerned and took the situation very seriously. The offending tweeter was disqualified from the meet by USA Swimming. USA Swimming has official policies about Twitter and social media use, but the NYS Public High School Athletic Association has yet to implement these rules.
There have also been some students who were caught bullying others using Twitter and got in trouble with their school. Twitter accounts used for cyberbullying are often reported by users who see these tweets—or even Twitter itself. Students who have tweeted pictures or text about drinking or doing illegal drugs in or out of school have also been penalized for their actions. This is controversial because some may see it as an invasion of students’ privacy, but it is nevertheless important for making sure they are making good, safe decisions in their social life.
College coaches will often look through their potential high-school recruits’ social media accounts as a means to judge their character, and if they find tweets or pictures they think are inappropriate, they will rule out that particular recruit. As school approaches and scholastic sports seasons draw near, athletes need to remember one thing: “Think before you tweet.” As tweeted by Brandon Chambers, an assistant men’s basketball coach at Marymount University, “Never let a 140-character tweet cost you a $140,000 scholarship.” When athletes are worrying about trying to get scholarships, it is always better to be safe rather than sorry. Some coaches also check to see how often the recruits are on social media. If a recruit appears to be spending more time tweeting than hitting the weight room, a university or college may actually rule out that particular recruit.
When using social media, always think about what others will think about your postings. Always assume that everyone can see your tweets, and make sure that what you say on social media truly represents your best self.