With recent focus on Bama Rush controversy and subsequent rumors, this post, originally titled, “Small Minds, SnapChat & Screenshots,” is still relevant eight years later.
According to an article in the New York Daily News, looks like this University of Alabama student SnapChat-ted her way right out of the Chi Omega sorority for this gem. I would like to know if the other two girls pictured with her are being held accountable in any way. I would also like to ask them if they knew how their ‘sister’ intended to caption the pic beforehand and if they had any inkling of a second thought before posting. At this point, and judging by their smiling faces, one has to believe they did know. Perception is reality… until explained otherwise and usually after much humiliation and embarrassment affects more than those pictured (e.g., parents). In this case there are no words that will explain this away. This is ugly.
Ugh. Aside from this sad reminder that ignorance is alive and well among our youth in the year 2014, this breaks a few of the #SweetSixteen outlined in my book of social media rules and etiquette. Keep It Classy, Be Kind, and Check Yourself are three that come to mind as I write this from the big island of Hawai’i at 5:54 a.m. local.
In my book, I refer specifically to SnapChat saying “…and those SnapChat pics? Turns out they may not ever really disappear.”
Listen – the first thing I can only hope we are all teaching our kids about is diversity, celebrating differences in people, and that racism and hate speak of any kind, towards fellow human beings is unacceptable.
The second thing I hope we will all teach our kids is to never believe a social app that promises to delete content after a certain amount of time. This is unrealistic and is lulling people into some false fantasy land sense of security.
Say it with me: It only takes ONE SECOND to take a screenshot of ANYTHING.
UPDATE: Today, the kids use someone else’s phone to duplicate SnapChat photos or videos without the originator being notified their Snap has been screenshotted.
While we’re on the topic of apps that promise to delete the dumb stuff we do after any length of time, there is apparently a new app which promises to delete the drunken ramblings of users after 24 hours. WOW! This is genius!! This could have totally saved Vodka Samm. NOT.
Umm, what about the other 23:59:59 during which time a user’s dirty martini fueled content could go viral thanks to that ONE SECOND it takes to grab a screenshot of ANYTHING?
Thanks for stopping by – Aloha,
xo J.J.
J. J. Cannon 
