Atlanta Braves pitcher Sean Newcomb lost the bid for a no-hitter on Sunday in the ninth inning. Shortly after the home game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Newcomb found himself faced with his past as tweets he had posted on social media in his late teens surfaced on Twitter.
The Braves released a statement calling Newcomb's old tweets "hurtful and incredibly disappointing." Newcomb was one of a number of players in the league watching old social media comments and post resurface years later.
Newcomb's misconduct in his teens emerging in adulthood offers educators and parents an opportunity to discuss the reality of social media with young adults. Newcomb reportedly did not remember posting the Tweets and years later is offering an explanation and issuing an apology for his actions.
Ask your teen if they are aware of examples of negative social media posts resurfacing. Are your teens aware of what they have posted over the years? Are they aware that future employers may choose to look at their social media profiles? It is also important to acknowledge that even after a post is deleted, the content could have been saved by another user. Newcomb's apology on a national stage serves as a reminder that actions online can never entirely be erased.