Are You Sure You Want to Post That?

Ten-year-old Andy from New York thought TikTok would be all fun all the time. But he changed his mind when he realized how many people could see the goofy videos he posted. 

“I was embarrassed,” Andy says. “And I regretted it.”

Gianna, a fifth-grader from Georgia, also regrets posting something silly on social media. She added a funny filter to a photo of her grandma and then posted it to her grandma’s Facebook page.

“She wasn’t particularly happy about the people she works with seeing her with such a silly filter,” Gianna says.

Doesn’t simply deleting embarrassing posts make them disappear forever? Not necessarily. People can take screenshots or make recordings of your posts and share them. Plus, websites and apps can store information without users realizing it.

“It’s just not always possible to delete, which is why it’s super important to think before we post,” explains Weinstein.

She says good digital citizens also consider others, even when posting something that seems harmless. It’s a good idea to always ask friends and family for permission before posting photos of them or tagging them.

Ten-year-old Andy from New York thought TikTok would be all fun all the time. But he changed his mind once he realized how many people could see the goofy videos he posted of himself.  

“I was embarrassed,” Andy says. “And I regretted it.”

Gianna, a fifth-grader from Georgia, also regrets posting something silly. She added a funny filter to a photo of her grandma. Then she posted it to her grandma’s Facebook page..

“She wasn’t particularly happy about the people she works with seeing her with such a silly filter,” Gianna says.

Doesn’t deleting embarrassing posts make them disappear forever? Not necessarily. People can take screenshots or make recordings of your posts and share them. Plus, websites and apps can store information. Users may not even realize it.

“It’s just not always possible to delete, which is why it’s super important to think before we post,” explains Weinstein.

She says good digital citizens also consider others. It’s a good idea to ask friends and family for permission before posting photos of them or tagging them.

Fourth-grader Namya from Washington State also had a bad experience on social media. She joined TikTok to try different dance challenges. 

“At first, it was fun, then the drama started,” Namya says. “There were just too many negative comments from people I didn’t even know.”

Unfortunately, Namya’s situation isn’t unique. One recent study showed that one out of seven kids between the ages of 9 and 12 have been cyberbullied.

“Some people say things online they’d never say to another person’s face,” Weinstein explains.

You might think responding to negative comments is the best strategy. But experts say this might only keep the drama going. Instead, they suggest, tell a trusted adult and report the comments to the people who run the app.

Namya, a fourth-grader from Washington State, joined TikTok to try different dance challenges. 

“At first, it was fun, then the drama started,” Namya says. “There were just too many negative comments from people I didn’t even know.”

Namya’s situation isn’t unique. A recent study showed that one out of seven kids between the ages of 9 and 12 have been cyberbullied.

“Some people say things online they’d never say to another person’s face,” Weinstein explains.

You might want to respond to negative comments. But experts say this might only keep the drama going. They say to tell a trusted adult instead. Report the comments to the people who run the app.

Kathryn recently found herself in the middle of a different kind of digital drama. The 12-year-old from Louisiana has nearly 200 “friends” on the gaming app Roblox. But she knows only a few of them in real life. During a chat, she told people her name and birthday. When Kathryn realized her mistake, she felt nervous. 

“I wished I could undo the chat, but I couldn’t,” she says.

Experts warn that it’s dangerous to give away personal information online. And it’s not just what you say in a chat that could reveal clues about you. 

“It might seem like fun to tag a location on a picture, but that location shows exactly where you are,” says Weinstein.

She says a good rule when using social media is to always trust your feelings. If you’re worried or uneasy, something is not right.

“Tell an adult right away,” Weinstein urges. 

Kathryn recently found herself in the middle of a different kind of digital drama. The 12-year-old from Louisiana has nearly 200 “friends” on the gaming app Roblox. But she knows only a few of them in real life. During a chat, she told people her name and birthday. When Kathryn realized her mistake, she felt nervous. 

“I wished I could undo the chat, but I couldn’t,” she says.

Experts warn that it’s dangerous to give away personal information online. And it’s not just what you say in a chat that could reveal clues about you. 

“It might seem like fun to tag a location on a picture, but that location shows exactly where you are,” says Weinstein.

She says to trust your feelings. If you’re worried or uneasy, something is not right.

“Tell an adult right away,” Weinstein urges. 

1. What is a “digital footprint”?

2. Why shouldn’t kids count on being able to delete social media posts?

3. Why does the author put quotation marks around the word “friends” in the section “Beware of the Share”?

1. What is a “digital footprint”?

2. Why shouldn’t kids count on being able to delete social media posts?

3. Why does the author put quotation marks around the word “friends” in the section “Beware of the Share”?