Top 5 social media regrets

By now, most college students probably have a handful of “internet regrets” a.k.a items on their social media profile that they wish they hadn’t posted or hadn’t been tagged in. Whether it is a sappy status back in middle school or a more recent incriminating photo, it’s likely there is something out there you wish you could go back and delete.  Below are some of the most common social media regrets you should be sure to avoid:  

Unflattering pictures
If you’ve gone through puberty, chances are you probably look quite different from your 13- or 14-year-old self. Most people try to hide their old pictures on Facebook, but there’s always that one friend who digs up an embarrassing photo and posts it on your wall for the whole world to see. #Sorrynotsorry

 Pointless status updates
Besides looking your most awkward, the middle school years were also probably when you posted the most random, boring and pointless statuses. If you scroll down far enough, you’ll probably find something along the lines of “_____ is craving frozen yogurt” or “Like my status for a truth is” and other cringe-worthy Facebook posts. 

 Lovey dovey posts about an ex or partner
 Equally entertaining as the pointless statuses are the sappy statuses. Back in the day, I remember so many of my classmates felt the need to broadcast to the world their love for a significant other. The worst posts, however, weren’t even the PDA ones — they were the overly emotional rants about exes. #Ihateyou #Boyssuck

Profanity or bad language
Now that many of us are looking for jobs, we also have to make sure we maintain a professional image on our social media. Many young adults are guilty of letting an occasional f-bomb or two slip, but they forget that the whole Facebook world — including past teachers, friends’ parents, and sometimes even recruiters — can see what they write.

Drunken selfies
Last but not least, the social media regret that is probably giving college students the biggest headache now is the drunken selfie. Usually it’s a tagged photo from a party, but sometimes it can be your own accidental Snapchat of a night out in L.A. Whether or not these kinds of photos are within your control, you better make sure to untag yourself or delete it the next day before it’s on everyone’s newsfeed.

As college students, we are guaranteed to have at least a few internet regrets every now and then. Luckily for us, Facebook and other social media networks provide privacy settings that allow users to hide incriminating photos and statuses from the public eye. Just remember the next time you apply for a job, do a background check on yourself to make sure you’re good to go.