Social media can come back to bite

       When I decided to become more involved in media organizations here on campus, I was given a lot of advice.

I heard the same things from the same people. One of the most prevalent pieces of advice I got was to police my social media accounts. No vulgar Facebook statuses or tweets. Make sure there were not any red cups in my pictures. I followed those rules without second thoughts even though I felt like people were making a big deal out of nothing and I would be able to do what I wanted once I was an established writer. A few days ago, I was proven wrong.

      TV pundit Roland Martin has come under fire for recommending that a man should be slapped if he was coveting soccer player  David Beckham's underpants.

        Gays and Lesbians Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) responded with another tweet criticizing Martin's views. CNN acted swiftly and Martin is currently suspended until further notice.

       I have watched this debacle play out for days and seen Martin's history of homophobic action be broadcasted. It has shown me how much of an impact social media can have on a person's life.

Roland Martin has a history of getting into conflict on his Twitter page over a variety of subjects. Like many of us, it seemed Martin thought he was untouchable and his word would not result in any consequences.

       He was wrong, and others should look at this incident as a lesson.

In a perfect world, people would be able to do and say what they want online without having to worry about any repercussions. Sadly, we do not live in that world and we have to take precautions.

      It is okay to post pictures a fun night out but it isn't necessary to post a picture of someone puking on a sidewalk. Most social networks have privacy settings and it is relatively easy to get an email address to create an anonymous account.

This may seem tedious but it will help in the long run. Roland Martin's slip shows that no one is exempt from criticism.