Money Matters: Are Your Kids Hurting Their College or Job Prospects on Social Media?
Editor’s Note: Briant Sikorski from Stratos Wealth Partners in Cary contributed this article.
Cary, NC – Everything doesn’t need posting.
Picture an admissions officer at an elite university, weighing whether that school should accept your child in its next freshman class. A quick Instagram or Facebook profile search discourages that academic gatekeeper. Your kid doesn’t get into that great college, all because of what was posted online.
“Keeping it real” can come with an opportunity cost
Social media reveals not just personality, but character. The default setting for photo and text posts on many social media platforms is “public,” and teens may not always appreciate or use the “private,” “friends,” “friends of friends” or “only me” settings. They should realize that in our interconnected world, they may be a social media degree or two removed from potential employers, clergy and educators.
Teens need to put the right image out there
Your child has a personal brand, and though he or she may not be as famous as Taylor Swift or Tom Brady, image still matters. Earlier this year, Harvard University retracted the admissions offers of 10 students based on their posts during a Facebook group chat.
What your kids post matters
It can either positively or negatively affect their future. I know you want to plan positively for their future and the financial future of your household!
Briant Sikorski is a Wealth Advisor at Stratos Wealth Partners. Photos by Laura Bittner.
