To the uniformed, social media may appear to be an innocuous form of communication between you and your circle of friends. It can even be just a conversation between you and another person, but the truth is it’s not. Remember what makes its way onto the internet even if you think it’s private can be shared exponentially and live forever long after you hit the delete button. Time and time again, athletes have faced heightened scrutiny for what they share with their community of followers with dire legal consequences. Knowing your boundaries will safeguard you and your future prospects.

One area that has been particularly troubling for many in the digital age has been sexting, or the distribution of naked images and video over a social network or via text. Do not be fooled. This rather risky behavior is not without repercussion and leaves many open to serious legal issues. An “innocent” sext may prove incredibly embarrassing, damaging, and/or even incriminating to all parties involved. Even if you were not the one to take them, merely sharing them, places you equally accountable and risks your future in sports, let alone other academic or career goals.

Sharing a potentially illicit image could constitute distribution of child pornography, a felony charge with serious jail time, if the image is found to be of a minor under the age of 17 years. The crossover between high school and college age social groups means you are very much at risk. If you believe you have received an image of a minor, it is absolutely your duty to report it. Do not get caught thinking you are exempt from responsibility. The legal system, your school and the media will hold you accountable.

Helpful Tips

· Do not share explicit material of any kind over any medium whether it is a social media platform, email or text, even if you are not the original owner.

· If someone sends you a sext, you are under no obligation to send one back. Do not be baited.

· Always have the expectation that whatever you post or share will become public content.

· Accept that you can never fully know another person’s intentions. Even if you are dating exclusively, intentions change with time.