Could Your Face Go Viral?

    The whole nightmare started when Ashley VanPevenage was invited to a party.

    She had some acne, acne, and she wanted to look her best. So she got a friend to help her put on makeup. The friend asked if she could post before and after photos of Ashley on Instagram. Ashley said yes. She didn’t think much about it after that. 

    But a week later, Ashley woke up to a painful surprise. Strangers had posted her face all over social media. Often the posts were followed by cruel comments about her skin. 

    Ashley had become a mean meme—a picture that spreads quickly across the internet. “When you see a meme, you don’t even think of it as a real person,” Ashley says. “But when it’s you, you realize how hurtful it can be.” 

    Ashley’s case is unusual. But it’s also a good reminder. When we post something online, we lose control over how it’s used. And it can affect our lives in ways we could never expect.

    For Ashley VanPevenage, the nightmare started with an invitation to a party.

    She had some acne. She wanted to look her best. So she asked a friend to help her with her makeup. The friend asked if she could post photos of Ashley on Instagram. The photos would show Ashley before and after the makeup. Ashley said yes. It didn’t seem like a big deal. 

    But a week later, Ashley got a painful surprise. Strangers had posted her face all over social media. Often the posts had mean comments about her skin. 

    Ashley had become a meme: a picture that spreads quickly across the internet. “When you see a meme, you don’t even think of it as a real person,” she says. “But when it’s you, you realize how hurtful it can be.” 

    What happened to Ashley is a good reminder. We can’t always control how the photos and videos we post are used.

    The whole nightmare began for Ashley VanPevenage with an invitation to a party.

    She had some acne and wanted to look her best, so she had a friend help her put on makeup. The friend asked if she could post before and after photos of Ashley on Instagram. Ashley said yes and didn’t give it much thought after that. 

    However, a week later, Ashley woke up to a painful surprise. Strangers had reposted the photos all over social media, and the posts often included cruel comments about her skin. 

    Ashley had become a mean meme—a picture that spreads quickly across the internet. “When you see a meme, you don’t even think of it as a real person,” Ashley explains. “But when it’s you, you realize how hurtful it can be.” 

    Ashley’s case is unusual, but it’s also a good reminder that when we post something online, we lose control over how it’s used. And our lives can be affected by it in unexpected ways.

    In many ways, the internet has made our lives better. Social media apps help friends and family stay in touch. They give us new ways to express ourselves. You can post TikToks of your best dance moves. You can show off your photography skills on Instagram. 

    But there’s another side to all this sharing. No matter how careful you are, it’s hard to guarantee that your posts will stay private. Experts say that even the strictest privacy settings might not protect you. 

    Let’s say you message a friend a photo of you picking your nose—just for laughs. The good news is, she thinks it’s funny. The bad news is, it’s funny enough to screenshot and send to someone else. That person then posts the silly selfie to her public feed.

    Soon enough, you’re known as Booger Boy. And no one at school will let you forget it.

    The internet has made our lives better in many ways. We can stay in touch with friends and family on social media. We can express ourselves in new ways. Got a dance move you want to share? You can post it on TikTok. Want to show off your photography skills? You can use Instagram. 

    But the internet can bring problems into our lives too. There’s no way to guarantee that your posts will stay private. Even using the strictest privacy settings might not protect you. 

    Imagine this: You message a photo to a friend. It shows you picking your nose. You did it as a joke. Your friend thinks it’s funny. She sends it to someone else. That person posts the photo to her public feed.

    Now you’re known as Booger Boy.

    The internet has improved our lives in numerous ways. Social media apps help friends and family stay in touch. These apps also give us new ways to express ourselves, like posting TikToks of our best dance moves and using Instagram to show off our photography skills. 

    But all of this sharing has a downside. No matter how careful you are, there’s no way to guarantee that your posts will stay private. Even using the strictest privacy settings might not protect you, experts say. 

    Here’s an example: You message a friend a photo of yourself picking your nose—as a joke. The good news is, she gets a laugh out of it. The bad news is, she thinks it’s funny enough to screenshot and send to someone else. That person then posts the silly selfie to her public feed.

    In what seems like only seconds, you’re known as Booger Boy—and no one at school will let you forget it.