It amazes me how little college students think about social media.

Oh, we are all on it.

But, do you actually think about each picture or status you post?

Let me just say – journalists can find almost anything on the interweb.

If a person wants to find something about you, say when you’re job hunting, they will find it.

I can do a background check on anyone in my office (or any guy my friends go on dates with) with a quick check on doxpop.com.

I can search whether or not my cousin ever used a cuss word on Twitter by going to snapbird.org.

One of my favorite tools is going to a website’s homepage, putting a subject I’m searching for, then “site” and the homepage’s address (example: contract site:usi.edu).

Of course, if someone whispers in my ear about a student bragging they got arrested, that doesn’t hurt too bad.

These are tools I’ve been given.

There are companies out there that hire specialists who are more advanced than a journalist.

I’m graduating, and I’m scrutinizing over each picture that has my nose ring in it.

Can I be denied a job over something as simple as a nose ring? What if I have a Pepsi in a koozie?

Will they think it’s a Bud Light?

This goes for everything I post as well.

I see so many college students subtweet, or vaguely reference someone they have a problem with, about how they want to puke on them or how they’re an “idiot.”

I guarantee if you subtweet about someone, an employee will think you’ll do that about them.

Everything you post online will be out there for anyone to see or hear.

Yes, you can post things under private settings or try to be anonymous by blurring out your faces.

But if someone else posts your tweet with your handle by doing the old copy and paste, then it will go back to you.

Maybe I’ve become uptight during college.

But, please realize things could come back to bite you so hard.

It may not, but honestly, I don’t really want to take the chance.