Teenagers are notorious for their stupidity. Their reckless, rash, and devil-may-care attitudes have built this reputation throughout the centuries. In the past, once adolescence had passed people were able to move from their youthful indiscretions. With the advent of social media, this has become harder and harder to do.

As a teenager myself, even as National Honor Society President, I have little interest if my classmates dabble in illicit substances. While, given the opportunity, I will harp on the impact of marijuana for hours; I truly don’t care about other’s youthful follies. This is until they post it on social media.

There is not one single reason why you need to post about how high you were during that concert. Or, how you were totally wasted at that after-party. Is it to prove that you are popular? Or to validate the fact that you and your friends have a ton of fun? Neither are reasons to put your future in jeopardy.

The worst offense to commit is posting pictures of your crime. I am tired of photos of people, with overly happy smiles and slightly-flushed faces, posing with bottles in the background. Also, don’t think you are fooling anyone with those infamous red-solo cups. It doesn’t matter if you are drinking water, everyone assumes it is a brewski.

The twitter universe was abuzz during the Superbowl after JCPenney’s appeared to “drunk tweet.” Numerous other brands jumped on the bandwagon; from Coors beer hoping they had a designated driver to Snickers offering them a candybar. The genius of this marketing ploy was revealed after they admitted they had been “tweeting with mittens.” However, your coaches, teachers, parents, and employers are unlikely to believe it if you use the same excuse.

Troublesome posts on the web can even affect your chances at getting into college. A recent survey put out by Kaplan, the test-prep company, found that 31% of college admissions officers check applicant’s social media trail. Out of those officers, 35% had discovered something that negatively impacted the applicant’s chances of acceptance.

To save yourself from future pain, please keep those WPA after-party pics off of the web. If you are at a party, participating in illicit substances or not, be aware of your surroundings. Ensure there is no trace of illegality in the background. Protect yourself and help your reputation at the same time. I implore you to use this discretion, for now and years to come.