It's a message we as student-athletes learn very quickly once we arrive at college: There is a higher standard when it comes to posting on social media than other students face.

What we post is a direct representation of not only us, but the University of Arizona as a whole. As social media begins to shape politics and entertainment, sports is also a major component in this technological era.

So I decided to interview a few of my fellow student-athletes, as well as a coach, that are aware of the affects that social media has on fans and how what you post can have either a positive or negative outcome on those watching.

In football, wide receiver Shun Brown and quarterback Khalil Tate are two up-and-coming stars. Tate was called on to the starting quarterback after the injuries of Anu Solomon and Brandon Dawkins. The 17-year-old Inglewood, California native had his breakout game against UCLA, which increased his social media presence among fans.

"Whatever they say, I use that negative feedback for motivation," Tate said.

Brown's approach is similar to Tate's in that the negative feedback will always be there, but if you let it get to you it can throw you off your game.

Of course not all social media has icy judgement, when used with positive purpose, apps such as Instagram, Twitter and Facebook allow these student-athletes to keep in touch, update and inform old teammates, family members and friends of what's going on in their lives. Tate said he does not use it frequently, but speaks on the relevancy of social media.

"It's kind of tough not to have it, because you want to keep up." Tate said.

Brown added that he uses social media as a source for news.

The quarterback and wide receiver duo face off next against one of toughest football programs currently in the Pac-12, Stanford.

After hearing the two football athlete's perspectives of social media, I wanted see if this was the general mindset of all athletes. So I interviewed Cats track phenom Sage Watson, to hear her approach to the subject at hand.

"When I was at the Olympics I wish I never had social media, because so much happened at once", Watson said.

The 2016 Rio Olympian finished 11^th overall in the 400m hurdles and 4^th in the 4x400meter relay at her first Olympics. While her events were being streamed all across the world, Watson was seen by nearly 300 million viewers.

"You don't think it will be overwhelming, you think you'll be happy or whatever once you get a lot of followers, but a lot of negativity comes around it," Watson said.

Once you get past the negative sides of social media, the positive definitely outweighs the egregious behavior. In late September Watson visited the Tucson Cancer Conquerors support group and posted a picture to get their message and breast cancer awareness out. The photo was liked by nearly 700 people.
Acts like this show that a simple kind gesture, like posting a picture on an app can make a big difference.

Lastly I reached out to Assistant Track and Field coach Francesca Green to seek a different vantage point on the topic of athletes and social media.

"I always say if it's something that would embarrass your family or someone important in your life, then it's something you probably shouldn't have on social media," Green said. "When you get a job, they're going to look at that stuff and it could possibly keep you from getting the job you want."

It all ties into the fact that everyone is entitled to their own opinions, beliefs and actions, but it's the choices you make behind-the-scenes that can effect what happens on-the-surface.

"It's just really knowing what you're posting and being careful," Green said.