As we all go our separate ways next week for Spring Break, it’s important to be conscious about what you and your peers post online from your respective vacation destinations.

In a moment of impulsive joy, it is easy to get carried away taking funny Instagram pictures to entertain your audience of followers, but those kinds of photos are more likely to harm you than help you.  Sloppy tweeting, jarring facebook posts and embarrassing comments have the ability to alter your online reputation over the long term.

Everyone wants to be known as the life of the party, but no one wants to be scorned for going absolutely crazy as soon as they’re allowed to let loose.  While it’s important to have fun during any vacation, you should never forget that your actions represent who you are.  Being the joker of the group or getting out of control in front of a crowd can have unfortunate consequences.  Be smart about what you choose to post online and share with online social communities.

Instagram was created to provide users with a simple and fun way to creatively edit photos, and it’s a shame when a few users’ inappropriate photos ruin the experience for everyone.

As a rule of thumb next week, think about whether or not you would be willing to share the same photo you sent out over Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with your grandmother at your next family gathering.  If the answer is no, you probably should not be sending it out over the Internet.