February 12th, 2016

The Dangers of Social Media and College Bound Athletes

Social Media consists of a variety of communication platforms where people and businesses can quickly network and collaborate with one another. Most people use social media to stay in contact with friends and keep up with latest events & trends, which has made them very popular among high school students. Unfortunately with the upside to social media there can be a downside which many people are not aware of. ​

Below we have put together a short list of potential dangers of using social media:

• People can easily lose hours of productive time due to the inherent destructive nature of social nature​
  
• We can become too reliant on other people’s opinions to boost our self-esteem. We are so used to getting likes and re-tweets, but when people stop showering us with those we tend to think of ourselves as social failures.​
• The more time people spend online the further from reality they tend to drift. We are now seeing more and more adolescent forms of depression as kids think they don't live up to the fictional personality that others portray on online.

​​When it comes to applying for a new job or a sports scholarship, the dangers are of a very different nature. Potential employers, colleges and university coaches all want to know what kind of person you are, and use social media as their first point of reference. This is where your profiles need to show that you are an exemplary citizen. If you are a student-athlete, you will need to portray the image of someone who takes their academics and sport seriously. Universities and colleges are looking for students that have a positive attitude, work hard and set goals for themselves.

It is important to remember that social media can be extremely effective when it comes to business and personal marketing. On the other hand, (if used recklessly) it will be detrimental to your scholarship or employment aspirations. ​