Snapchat may be the most popular and the most dangerous social media application for college students. Contrary to popular opinion, Snapchat is not private. In fact, screen shots from “snaps” show up all over the internet, permanently. Underage drinking, profanity and even police activity have all surfaced as permanent social media posts that originated on Snapchat, which is meant to be both private and temporary. These posts have resurfaced on other social media websites, in storylines ending with suspension, expulsion, and disgrace for the student athletes involved (see related story).
Student Athletes cannot hide under the radar, they are too popular. It is very difficult to stay out of the spotlight. Click the link to watch a video regarding Continuos Trouble For Student Athletes on Social Media. Proactive education may be the answer to save the student athlete from a potentially damaging run in with Snapchat.
Over the past couple years, Snapchat has risen from obscurity and transformed into one of the most commonly used mobile networks in the digital world, especially among college students, as 45% of its adult users fall between the ages of 18 and 24.
In fact, Snapchat users have the ability to follow anyone they choose, and it’s the responsibility of each student athlete to exercise exceptional caution in order to help themselves. However, along with this accountability, comes the benefit of acquiring valuable experience optimizing social media professionally, and today, those skills are highly desirable assets to any resume. In reality, Athletic Directors owe it to their student athletes to implement proactive social media education, in order to arm their athletes with the confidence to use these powerful platforms constructively in the future.
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