Social networking is always going to be a top priority for teenagers.  From MySpace to Facebook and Google+ to Twitter, users take advantage of their first amendment rights by explaining their personal lives on these sites.

Depending on if students are in sports, activities, or whatever the case may be, some tend to censor what they say on these social networking sites, as well as how they say it.  But are these students really just being cautious about what they post for their own beliefs, or are they being forced to censor their posts?

Being a high school student and posting pictures of drugs or alcohol is obviously something you don’t want to do.  Not only do you just look like an attention-seeking high schooler, but you will also get into trouble if somebody decides to show these photos to a school administrator.

Let’s go a little deeper.  Take a look at Twitter.  Schools around the area are starting to check students’ tweets.  Any tweets including swearing or any posts about parties, sex, drugs or alcohol are extremely frowned upon.

Student athletes are upset about this.  Many feel that coaches checking their tweets and telling the students to “clean them up” is really none of their business.

“We do not have any ‘rules’ concerning social media. All coaches, including myself, have been talking to the athletes about being careful on what they tweet,” said athletic director Steve Millsaps, “In seeing some of the athletes’ tweets, I feel they need to be educated on the correct usage of Twitter. It is a great asset when used correctly”.

If that isn’t enough, Millsaps continues on to say “also, colleges and employers are goggling athletes’ names and, in some cases, following the athletes.  They are reading the tweets athletes post to find out more about the athletes and see what kind of character they possess.  I have told the athletes to really think before they tweet and especially be careful of using curse words.  A bad tweet could cost them a scholarship”.

Is that retweet really worth it?  To some, it is.  But to most, a scholarship is much more important than that feeling you get when being retweeted.  Watch what you say, and make sure the tweet you post is really worth it.