"The Choice is Yours", that's what his tattoo says! My perception of that tattoo has always been that no matter what you do in life, you make those choices and must be willing to accept any consequences that they bring, whether positive or negative.
Just the other day, I read a bumper sticker that said, "Don't let your present choices, affect your future opportunities." I really had to think about that for a minute; with all the social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn), only to name a few, we as social media participants should really be mindful of the information that we post and share with others. Although, I am an active participant in several of the aforementioned social media sites, my settings are always set to private, so only the people that I have accepted as my friends are privy to the information that I post. As parents, we also have a responsibility to monitor what our children are posting on those sites as well, because they are oblivious to the repercussions that they may suffer from a post that they posted and thought was just in "fun and games," months and even years after.
The internet holds a wealth of information, much of which remains even after it has been deleted on the surface. It's imperative that our youth realize that their post are being viewed by parents, police officers, teachers, pastors, potential schools for college applicants, and potential employers. The youth must realize that their online profiles, say a lot about them and they can either make them or break them simply by words and/or pictures that have been posted. In years past, we would meet people face to face and determine what our first impression of them was but now, our first impression starts online. Many times, the person has met you online by conduct an online search of your identifying information before they have met you in person. It is the online search and the information that is gathered that determines whether you will even get to meet in person. So you have to be careful of what you put out there.
Youth and grown-ups are having a hard time accepting that their online "public" profiles are influencing how people and potential employees view them. It's about character and building a positive online reputation. An online reputation is just as noticeable as a reputation in or around your school and community. These online social sites were created initially for fun but through the years and the usage, they have morphed into a marketing, recruiting, promoting mecca. Everybody uses it for some purpose; whether to keep in touch with friends, promote a business, meet your chosen college roommate, or just to see what people are doing on a daily basis.
The internet can be used for fun but with the way of the world, we as a people should be using it to our advantage and creating positive images which builds our character and shows our integrity. If each time a "third party" or company that is interested in hiring you, searches and sees your profile and it is filled with profanity, drugs, alcohol, and half-dressed men or women; it is safe to say they are going to question your character and rule, based on what your online presence says about you, that you are not a good fit or candidate for their job.
Always emulate a positive image on the World Wide Web because it lasts forever and you never really know who's watching!
Geneise
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