Teens share everything. How they feel about life, a new song, their science homework, pictures of themselves, where they’ll be hanging out with friends, and doing things they quite possibly shouldn’t be. Parents need to be aware of what their children are sharing in their social networks, how it affects their digital reputation, and the long-term consequences.

A report by the Pew Internet and the American Life Project found 91% of the 12-to-17-year-olds it surveyed post photos of themselves and 24% post videos. Another 91% are happy posting their real name, 60% their relationship status, 82% their birthday, 71% the town where they live and the school they attend, 53% their email address and 20% their mobile number (compared with 2% in 2006). More and more, teens are sharing their personal information without any thought of how that information will impact their safety or future. Everything they post, comment on, or like is shaping their digital reputation.  Digital reputation doesn’t happen by accident. It is shaped by your online behavior and the content that you post about yourself and others. You don’t have to look far to see famous individuals that have turned their lives upside down because of a regrettable post or image. Professional sports athletes have lost million dollar endorsements, politicians have been forced from office, and even an average Joe’s Tweet can go viral, making them a national pariah.

One of the most infamous examples of this is 30-year-old Justine Saccos’ tweets she made during her journey from New York to South Africa. She was the senior director of corporate communications at IAC. During her layover at Heathrow Airport, she tweeted: “Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding. I’m white!” She had only 170 Twitter followers at the time. During her 11-hour flight, Justine’s tweet went viral. By the time she landed she became the No. 1 worldwide trend on Twitter. The twit ...