[imagesource: @BIANCA1015Z/ Twitter]

Let’s get this out of the way.

When most of us look back on our teen years, the cringe factor is off the charts.

I came late to the social media game, so thankfully most of it isn’t recorded online, but for a slightly younger generation, a trip to the Twitter or Facebook archives will uncover the horrors of adolescence.

That’s why it’s important to do a snoop back through your old social media profiles before applying for a job, or getting in line for something like the Miss South Africa pageant.

There are cringeworthy posts and pictures, though, and there is outright racism, so let’s look at the cautionary tale of Miss South Africa hopeful, Bianca Schoombee, per The Citizen:

Bianca Schoombee garnered all the wrong attention literally overnight on Tuesday after an unknown Twitter user took a deep dive into the Miss South Africa hopeful’s Twitter feed.

The 21-year-old first won everyone over when she posted her virtual Miss SA entry on Twitter on Saturday explaining why she believes she should take over from Sasha Lee Laurel.

That was all well and good, but then the wheels came off and the Twitter scandal kicked into gear:

In addition to having to post their introduction video on social media using the hashtag #MissSA2020 and tagging @Official Miss South Africa in their posts, entrants had to give the judging panel and organisation consent to do any and all necessary background checks.

I’m sure the pageant was doing its due diligence when they were overtaken by a Twitter detective who found these tweets from 2014, posted when Schoombee was between 14 and 15 years old:

Not a good look.

Schoombee posted an apology, which she later deleted, but as we’ve said before, once something is on the internet, it’s there for life in some form or another.

A number of Twitter users posted screenshots:

Yeah, you might want to employ the services of an image consultant on this one.

After deleting both of the above tweets, Schoombee then posted another apology:

She may have forgiven herself, but I’m not sure many South Africans will.

Following the backlash on that post above, Schoombee eventually deactivated her Twitter account.

UPDATE: She’s back on Twitter, with another apology, and has withdrawn from Miss SA:

💛 pic.twitter.com/xwvfzBYaR2

— Bianca Schoombee (@BIANCA1015Z) May 20, 2020

FURTHER UPDATE: She appears to have once again deleted her account. We can’t keep up…

[source:citizen]