Could the Internet be harming the up-and-coming crop of military recruits? Gen. Martin Dempsey seems to think so. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff stated at a conference this week that the widespread use of social media has made current teens ignorant to the potential damage they could do to their character, The Associated Press reported.
"I worry a bit about … the young men and women who are now in their teens, early teens, and who probably underestimate the impact of their persona in social media and what impact that could have later in life on things like security clearances and promotions," Dempsey said, as quoted by the news source.
Dempsey added that the military might give young recruits a second chance if their actions on social media accounts disqualify them from military service. However, he did admit that the ways teens are posting on social media are affecting the military's recruiting pool.
According to a 2013 report from the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project, 95 percent of teens between the ages of 12 and 17 use the Internet. Of those teens who regularly go online, 8 in 10 have social media accounts. Facebook is the social media platform of choice for teens, but Twitter use is also on the rise.