When the past comes back to bite
Issue #29
Should teens’ social media posts disappear as they age? This was a question posed by The Washington Post in a recent article on the right to be forgotten. The truth is that there can be far-reaching and often disastrous implications when social posts come back to bite. Just ask Alexi McCammond, a rising star in the journalism world. At 27, she became editor-and-chief of Teen Vogue—only to have decade-old racist and homophobic tweets resurface. Even though she'd apologized for the comments previously, she ultimately ended up stepping down from the role over the controversy, all because of fateful decisions she made as a teenager.
I’ve encountered story after story of kids who get into college and lose scholarships, are kicked off teams or lose jobs because of things from their past that resurface on social media. Sometimes it's a friend-of-a-friend's kid, who nearly landed a job at a prestigious investment banking firm, only to lose out because of social posts he made alluding to drinking and drug use. And other times, the stories carry international notoriety, like the case of Kyle Kashuv, a Parkland high school shooting survivor who had his acceptance into Harvard rescinded because of racist and anti-Semitic remarks he made on text messages and a shared collaborative document with classmates.
There is a lot to unpack with these situations, but this is another stark reminder that anything done online potentially goes onto the permanent records of these youths (and adults alike). In Kyle Kashuv's instance, the messages weren’t posted on social media, underlining the fact that these issues aren’t restricted to open and social platforms. Google docs, group texts, emails... all these things are part of the digital footprint we leave on the internet.
Once we put something out there, there is potential for it to become permanent. The White Hatter, a digital literacy expert and former police constable, shared some advice in our Kinzoo Interview Series that often comes to mind when I hear stories about digital pasts coming back to bite: "It’s important for parents to help their kids understand that what they’re putting online is public, permanent, searchable, exploitable, computable, shareable—and it’s all for sale... even what you post in Snapchat can come back to haunt you. Just don’t share too much information. Period. End of story."
That's an important lesson indeed, but I also think that the system can set kids up for failure. After all, if it's entirely up to kids' self-restraint to ensure they don't share anything potentially damaging, it's a bit of a losing battle. Even adults with fully developed frontal cortexes don't always navigate these public platforms perfectly. Just ask Chrissy Teigen. Kids need to learn the digital ropes on private platforms, surrounded by people who know them and care about their wellbeing. Parents obviously have a role to play in teaching kids what's acceptable and what's not, but ideally, our children can learn these lessons in a secured online space where the stakes are lower. Because clearly, scholarships and job opportunities are on the line.
A deeper dive
Here are a few helpful resources in case you want to really dig into today's topic:
In the European Union, internet users have a "right to be forgotten," meaning that individuals can ask organizations to delete their personal data in certain circumstances. Of course, this right doesn't apply to every situation, but it offers an additional safety net for people in the EU.
If you're starting to wonder what might be in your kids' digital dossiers—or your own for that matter, our friends at The White Hatter offer an awesome audit service. This can be a great, proactive step to give you peace of mind ahead of any high-stakes interviews or admissions decisions.
TL;DR
Too long; didn't read. It shouldn't be a full-time job to keep up on industry news, so here is a mercifully quick summary of some other notable developments:
It's difficult to grasp how much information Big Tech is collecting every time we go online. And even though companies aren't technically supposed to collect information from children without their parent's consent, it happens every day. Kids use adult platforms, and many apps and websites skirt the rules, but a new ad campaign is hoping to shed light on this problem. The Twisted Toys ads are meant to highlight how tech giants prey on children's data with a series of fictional toys that collect information on kids. Equal parts dystopian and thought-provoking!
You might be able to take your job search to social media soon. TikTok recently announced that it is developing a job service targeted towards Generation Z. According to Eric Sydell, executive vice president of innovation at the talent screening platform Modern Hire, it makes sense for recruiters to go where the candidates are, "but [sic] reports are saying that TikTok will also allow posting of video résumé. If that’s the case, you’re going from recruiting to selection, and that raises questions."
And lastly
Here are a few more pieces of original writing from me and my team—just in case you're keen for more:
Online privacy is becoming a bigger and bigger concern for a lot of families—and unfortunately, tech companies don't always make it easy to understand what they're doing with your data. Our team wrote a helpful guide to break down privacy policies and explain what to look out for.
Chelsea B. is a cyber-security expert and ethical hacker who helps families protect themselves online. We had a chance to chat with her about what parents can do to keep their kids' data secure. Check out her insights here!
Okay, that's it from me until next time. If you enjoyed this newsletter, and know of another parent who would as well, please feel free to forward it along.