Friday, March 29, 2024

Having A Tunsil Moment on Social Media.

May 5, 2016 by  
Filed under News, Opinion, Tech/Internet, Weekly Columns

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(ThyBlackMan.com) Our behaviors are influenced by youthful exuberance, ignorance to the consequences of our actions and just plain stupidity. Many of us have done things, participated in activities that when we look back on we resent and regret. Maturity is a great thing to have, but it is gained from experiences from life lessons.

Behaviors when mixed with alcohol, drugs and other substances blur the lines between common sense and irrational behaviors. When combined with technology we display a side of ourselves that we normally would not. We act and react differently because
our thoughts are either clouded in irrational actions and our youthful excitement of the moment.

The National Football League Draft of 2016 will be seen as a lesson in Social Media caution and accountability. The lessons learned are not just for athletes, but for everyone seeking to achieve thTunsil-moment-bong-2016eir goals, dreams and career aspirations. Laremy Tunsil’s high school mistake is a wakeup call for high school and middle school students that use Social Media. The events that happened no matter how they took place shows several things, people will try to use Social Media content to hurt others, you are accountable and responsible for your content that you post from videos, to photos and we cannot predict our futures.

This lesson in a way was experienced by Vanessa Williams’s years ago when she was the first African American to win Miss. America, but her crown was taken back because of photos from her past. She survived with the support of family and friends and her determined
will to be successful. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/miss-america-resigns

The term, hind sight is 20/20, I’m sure if she knew she was going to be Miss America she would not have taken those photos and chosen another course of action to support herself. Tunsil, I’m sure would not have participated in the events shown online and not recorded them. The actions of youth mixed with substances that take control of the mind are a dangerous combination. Social Media is not a crystal ball into the future, but a window to the past, it can show positive and productive events or behaviors that show lack of thought and maturity. As I have stated in many conversations at conferences, seminars and workshops:

“Your digital devices can be your best friends or worse enemies, depending on the type of content you create and post, share and associate with.” William Jackson

Social Media platforms are growing and allow unprecedented opportunities to share content that shares our lives, parents must be sure to talk to their children to get them to understand that everything they do does not have to go online and their behaviors, actions and associations can be a curse for the future.

“Privacy is dead, and social media hold the smoking gun.” Pete Cashmore, Mashable CEO Tweet This!

As I have blogged parents need to “Google and Hash Tag,” their children from time to time to protect them from themselves. To talk to their children, set ground rules and have expectations for behaviors. Along with this if the rules are broken consequences for actions that can ultimately be detrimental to future careers. Social Media is a reflection of society, there are wonderful resources that allow for personal growth, educational access, networking and social interactions that build dynamic and global relationships, but the other end are areas that promote chaos, confusion and even death; physical, moral, psychological and spiritual defecation of logic and common sense.

Parents are their children’s first line of defense to protect their children from physical and digital mistakes. The Internet has created an atmosphere where children, youth, teens and young adults feel they cannot live without access, they have to be connected to friends and resources that can influence behaviors outside of their “normal” influences. Tunsil is not the only one that has been exposed, there are others, some were lucky, but there are others that have heartbreaking stories resulting in unemployment, shame and embarrassment. The issue with Social Media is that others are influenced because of the “connected communities.”

Everyone else can see your business and if you allow only a select few, this does not stop the spreading of rumors and innuendos.
Caution in the actions and reactions of situations and circumstances is important. Think about how or if what you post can or will affect you and your family. It only takes a few seconds to change to course of your future when posting on Social Media.

“Social media is changing the way we communicate and the way we are perceived, both positively and negatively. Every time you post a photo, or update your status, you are contributing to your own digital footprint and personal Brand.” Amy Jo Martin

The dangers are not just employment and social stability, the dangers are destroying your Brand that you have worked hard to build. From your E-Brand to your e-Reputation and even your e-Personality all are affected. In some cases it is easier to destroy your personal Brand and almost impossible to rebuild it after a mistaken posting.

Staff Writer; William D. Jackson

Find out more about this talented writer over at; OCS For Education.


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