On the internet we (think) we are anonymous. The virtual world is not reality.
There are no laws online. You can do anything you want and be anything you want.
Although the internet is very appealing and is essentially the wild west, it is not going to forget.
The internet will remember what you have posted. Not just last week. No, even 15 years ago.
We like to experiment online. Especially when we are young it is easy to use the medium compulsively.
The hard truth tough is, that your content will stay on the internet forever.
You can delete posts you are not proud of, but others could have already shared it with others.
When we are young we don’t really think of our future selves. We think we live 500 years.
When we use social media, we just don’t think about any possible future repercussions.
You don’t think “how will the post affect me in the long run”.
Nevertheless….remember that you do leave a digital footprint in the virtual world.
Anyone can do research about you. Organisations and companies as well.
So be mindful about your online behavior. What does online presence say about you? What will people say about you when they see your (online) activities displayed online?
Be careful now, don’t think you have to work on your online persona that shows the opposite of who you are.
That online persona is all about “me, me, look at me”. However, it’s not about impressing others.
It’s about being authentic and being comfortable with yourself.
When you do post, make it about a cause, interest and passion you have. Make it about assisting someone else. Something that benefits others.
And if you don’t use social media? That’s completely fine as well. It just shows you value your time and prefer to spend it on other activities that matter to you more.
Remember that without social media you still create a digital footprint because using the internet is inevitable. There is some website out there that shows your engagement and presence.
Try googling yourself, what links and images appear in the search results?