Protecting your college student's reputation in the digital age

When students head off to college, telling them not to do anything irresponsible is like telling a cat it should act more excited to see you or telling a circus clown he shouldn't wear so much makeup. They may nod like they hear you, but the chances of seeing a behavioral change are slim.

College students are always going to make lots of mistakes — that's pretty much what college is about, after all — but with any luck you can at least convince them not to leave a permanent record of their adventures. Instead of preaching about the virtues of staying home and studying, try talking to them about how (and why) they should practice abstinence from posting things online that can come back to haunt them later.

Here are a few topics to discuss when you sit down to have "the talk."

Pictures. “We know you'd never drink at a party or wear a slutty Halloween costume, but let's say you accidentally did that: please don't post pictures that will keep you from getting a job. You don't really want to live in our basement, do you?”

Status updates. “While your professor might, in fact, be a ‘total douchebag,’ saying so on Facebook almost assures that it's going to get back to him. Remember that Facebook is still a public forum, and your comments can be passed along to people outside your circle with a couple of clicks.”

Sexting. “Everyone's doing it — forwarding your racy pictures and texts to the entire dormitory. It's like that game, ‘Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.’ You don't want to be within six clicks of someone who's seen you naked.”

Blogging. “Sure, honey, we're all for free expression. But did you know that your future employers will be able to read everything you ever post? Think about what you say, and if you can't commit to that, at least consider making your blog completely anonymous.” 

That should be plenty of fodder to get you started. Meanwhile, we'd love to hear some anecdotes. Has your teen ever gotten in hot water over digital indiscretion? Let's hear it! (But no real names, please.)