Social media, including Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, requires mature and responsible users in order to make smart decisions and act with respectable behavior. All users need to be fully aware that whatever is posted is seen by everyone forever, whether the post is deleted or not.  

Every day students flood social media accounts with all types of posts and captions. These include TikTok accounts, Instagram spam accounts, Twitter and even public Instagram accounts. 

All posts can have a negative or positive effect on the student’s future and that depends on proper decision making. When someone is deciding to post a photo, they are aware of the consequences that can come from it due to the fact that they agreed to the terms and conditions before signing up for the app.  

The terms and conditions of Instagram say that the user agrees that the pictures can be used without payment and that no inappropriate or illegal photos will be posted. 

Users can use social media platforms as a way to speak their minds, spread awareness and show interest in school spirit. This can all positively affect the student during the college application process.

Along with the positive, there is always negative usage of social media accounts. Users may utilize social media to post inappropriate content; including bad language, photographs, videos and statements. All of this can negatively affect the student applying to the school, but it does show their true character to the school. 

For instance, if a student posts a photo of them out supporting their local animal shelter, they may receive some extra attention from prospective colleges, compared to a student that posts a photo of them skipping school.  

Colleges want students to not only get good grades and high test scores but also have an impressive character. This means that they want to see that an applicant is well rounded in all aspects of their life in and outside of school. 

When colleges are reviewing or doing research on a student during their application process, they deserve to know who the student really is and who they are accepting into their college. College admissions only accept a certain amount of students into their school, so they need to make sure they choose the correct ones. 

This should cause students to make smart decisions when posting on any type of social media account so they do not regret it in the future. The number one rule is to always think before posting because it is never known when it may come back.