The high-profile figures millennials tend to look up to often do the very things young people should go out of their way to avoid.

This was seen just last week when an argument between Kanye West and Wiz Khalifa escalated to the point where West’s ex-girlfriend, Amber Rose, embarrassingly detailed West’s sex life. But even after a series of deleted tweets and bad press, the amused commentary and the tens of thousands of retweets and favorites revealed an alarming truth: young people are celebrating public figures’ oversharing on social media.

Although young people often idolize celebrities, millennials should refrain from following in their digital paths considering this could lead to them finding themselves jobless or even worse. Unfortunately, many do and face unintended consequences as a result.

Several social and psychological forces lead millennials to share too much personal information, according to Makana Chock, a professor of communications in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.

Socially, the “pics or it didn’t happen” mantra applies: young people feel a pressure to provide proof that they are always doing interesting things.

Oversharing on Facebook in particular, is rooted in the psychological aspects of social media. A 2015 study from Western Illinois University found that frequent activity on the site stems the need to be validated by others. Similarly, as reported last week by The Guardian, those who overshare on Facebook are psychologically driven to do so in order to achieve a greater sense of belonging.

“There’s an illusion that the people that are part of your social media network are part of your personal network,” Chock said.

However, as tempting as it may be to give your friends and followers an intimate look into your life, young people must resist the urge to share on social media or they may face issues with their reputation, professional image and even personal security.

Social media sites are riddled with expletive-filled rants, party photos and meaningless arguments that can be used against young people in the employment process. A 2015 poll found that over 52 percent of employers used social media to research job candidates, so millennials may be hurting their chances in the job market if they use social platforms recklessly.

In addition to potentially affecting job opportunities, revealing information on social media could also pose a risk to a person’s life. Often tweets, statuses and images are geotagged, meaning that a social media user’s location is attached to the post. That is to say, anybody with access to a person’s profile knows exactly where that person is when they post something.

In 2013, the Pew Research Center reported that 16 percent of teens on social media have their account set up so that it reveals their location every time that they post.

Even giving out seemingly harmless information, like the name of a favorite pet, can be dangerous in the right hands. Identity thieves often look at online profiles to hack passwords.

But before all of these consequences of oversharing comes the essential problem with social media: the speed of sites like Instagram and Twitter allow people to post things before thinking them through, explained Chock. The lack of face-to-face interaction makes millennials aggressive without considering the aftermath. They’re more likely to pick fights or insult other people, as shown by West’s argumentative tweets. Character limits also provide a greater chance of being misunderstood.

The harmful nature of excessive posting on social media seems to be too often forgotten. Whether it means losing a job offer, undermining a relationship or posing a threat to personal security, oversharing is problematic. Instead of following in the footsteps of celebrities with no boundaries, millennials should set their profiles to private and leave some things a mystery.

Tayler Knapp is an undeclared freshman in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Her column appears weekly. She can be reached at tmknapp@syr.edu.

Published on February 3, 2016 at 1:10 am