A thoughtfully-built LinkedIn profile allows your teen to take control of their own digital footprint and craft the professional narrative they want adult decision-makers (like college admissions officers or employers) to see when they search for them online, which will happen.

Social media gives us the opportunity to tell the world who we are and show ourselves in the way we want to be seen.

Think about what you post and ask yourself, “what does this photo/text/tweet, etc. say about me?” In the internet age, perception is reality and you aren’t going to get a chance to explain yourself or your post to all the people who see your post. They will never know what you posted was a meant as a joke or a misspelling or auto-correct led to a completely different post than what you originally intended it to be.