Selfies and sex don't mix

by Kim Niemi

When an episode of The Talk last week mentioned a new trend known as the #AfterSex selfie on Instagram, I thought it had to be an April Fool's gag. I mean, no one could really be that ridiculous or--I'm gonna say it: stupid--could they? 

If there's one thing I should know by now, it's that there is NOTHING too stupid for the Internet. It's kinda why I have a job. But wanting to believe that people have better judgment doesn't make it so. It turns out that not only are post-sex selfies a thing, but before-sex selfies are as well (though not nearly as popular; if there are during­-sex selfies, I don’t even want to know).

Since it's clearly not OBVIOUS why this is a bad idea, here's why it's a bad idea:

• The Internet is infinite and forever – however strong you think your privacy settings are, there are ways around ‘em. That picture is NOT just between you, your boo, and your 50 closest friends. You want your parents to see that? Your children? Your boss? 
  
• Speaking of… It’s the kind of thing that could get you fired. Especially if you’re in any kind of job where you deal with children, the public, or any product/image/person that would not appreciate being associated with your sex acts.
  
• The hashtag is a powerful tool. It’s designed to increase your exposure. So as if posting the pic to begin with isn’t bad enough, adding the hashtag to ensure that as many people as possible can find it is just a recipe for social sabotage disaster. 
  

Since sex is the subject, I’m going to make an analogy here: sharing photos on the Internet is like having unprotected sex. When you share a photo, you’re not just sharing it with the one person or group you choose to share it with – you’re sharing with all of that person’s friends as well. Just like when you have unprotected sex with someone, you’re basically sleeping with every person they’ve ever slept with. Taking precautions just makes sense. When you don’t, you suffer the consequences.

In the end, it’s up to you how much risk you want to expose yourself to. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you. 

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