Ben Tracy learned the hard way how comments made online - even as a teenager - can alter your life forever. Social media posts he made as a teenager caused Ben to be fired from a high-profile government job on his first day and landed his face on the cover of one of America’s largest newspapers.
Since then, Ben has made it his mission to make sure young people don’t repeat his mistakes and has taken his message to schools and organizations across the country. Ben shares his message with more than 100,000 students, parents, and educators each year. In addition to his personal story, Ben discusses cyberbullying, online predators, inappropriate photos, how social media impacts mental health, positive ways to use social media, and challenges students to build a school culture that is respectful and kind for all students.
Testimonials
“Ben Tracy’s story is REAL and relatable! Our students were hooked from the start and appreciated Ben’s raw truth. We had two large assemblies where Ben addressed Middle School students and High School students. He was able to easily adjust his message for each group and make a positive impact. What made Ben’s visit even better was the fact that he was able to visit with some of our classes and in a smaller setting really answer some great questions. Additionally, I witnessed a POWERFUL and EMOTIONAL one-on-one as Ben helped a young man come to grips with a social media mistake he made several years ago. I can’t thank Ben enough for spending a great day at The Out-of-Door Academy in Sarasota, Florida.”
— Tim Brewer, Director of Student Activities, The Out-of-Door Academy (Sarasota, FL)
“Ben was able to capture the attention of our student-athletes and keep them engaged for the full 45-minute presentation. His story provided a tangible example of how social media can impact your life even years after you tweet or post. I appreciated his vulnerability and willingness to share his experiences. Ben did a tremendous job connecting with our student-athletes and they appreciated the shared collegiate athletic experience. I would highly recommend bringing Ben to campus if you are looking for someone who can connect and provide a powerful message, especially with a younger generation.”
— A’dja Jones, Director of Student Athlete Development, Missouri State University Athletics (Springfield, MO)
“When a parent calls me the day after Ben spoke to our high school and asks who the speaker was because her son could not stop talking about him, you know he’s got a great message. Ben’s vulnerability in sharing his own personal mistakes and lessons will absolutely help students across the country to understand the power of social media and it’s consequences if used inappropriately. Ben is timely, authentic & relatable.”
— Dr. Kristen Kuhlmann, Andover High School Principal (Andover, KS), Kansas Area IV High School Principal of the Year
“As a former college student-athlete himself, Mr. Tracy immediately captured the attention of our student-athletes. His presentation was very appropriate and very timely. He used his contemporary experiences within the social media culture and related these experiences directly to our student-athletes. Additionally, he engaged our group with decision-making strategies on how to be better leader, a better teammate, a better friend. Following his presentation, we surveyed our student-athletes, with overwhelming affirmation; they agreed Mr. Tracy’s presentation had a significant impact on how they present themselves on social media platforms and how to be a better student-athlete.”
— Dr. Tim Val Alstine, Associate Vice-President & Director of Athletics, Cardinal Stritch University (Milwaukee, WI)
“Ben grabbed our students attention from the get go. He spoke to our whole school, grades 6-12 and did an excellent job keeping all ages engaged. His personal story has the power of a first hand experience which resonates more with students than anything we can say to them as adults about the pitfalls of social media. Ben also makes a point of showcasing the positive ways to use social media. Using his own story, Ben has created a thoughtful, sensitive and timely presentation. Our parents also had the opportunity to hear Ben’s presentation and it was very well received. If you can bring him to your school, do it!”
— Trish Cox, Dean of Students, The MacDuffie School (Granby, MA)
“Ben’s own story was captivating and relevant to the students in attendance as well as the teachers, parents and other adults. Ben has a powerful way of engaging and relating to the audience as well as to bring real-time situations and data into his presentations. What impressed me the most about Ben was his interest in those he was speaking to and his approachability and gift of time he invested after the presentation in speaking to all who wanted to and answering questions and giving insight. I highly recommend Ben and look forward to our paths crossing once again in the future.”
— PJ Deming, Principal, Monterey Bay Academy (La Selva Beach, CA)
“Ben’s ability to connect with all stakeholders (parents, faculty, high school students and middle school students) proved to be beneficial due to his knowledge of social media and real-life experience. We highly recommend anyone working with teenagers to consider allowing Ben to share his story.”
— Sondra Morris, Principal, St. Benedict at Auburndale High School (Cordova, TN)
“Mr. Tracy’s story is an attention-grabbing, real-life example of the power of words, particularly in today’s context of social media and public scrutiny. It served as a wake-up call to our students that had many of them scrambling–in a positive way–to make practical changes. Mr. Tracy’s open and honest sharing also served as a testimony to the value of authenticity, reflection, repentance, learning from one’s mistakes, and being willing to turn around and teach others.”
— Matt Cunningham, Bible Teacher & Chapel Coordinator, Aurora Christian School (Aurora, IL)
“When I made the decision to bring Ben Tracy to our campus to talk to our student athletes about social media, I did not realize how much Ben would change our student athletes’ knowledge about social media. His presentation is very heartfelt, engaging and very effective to any Students or Students Athletes across our nation. His presentation connects with both men and women at any grade level. Ben’s presentation interacts with the audience and has great examples from the group he is talking with. I would highly encourage you to book Ben as soon as you can. You and your group will not be disappointed with his presentation.”
— Darren Pannier, Athletic Director, State Fair Community College (Sedalia, MO)
“Ben Tracy did an amazing job at presenting a real-world issue that students may be aware of but do not take seriously. From the start, he is able to catch the students’ attention by showing them how easy it is to see what they put on social media. By sharing his own personal story of what happened to him when he misused social media at a young age, the students were able to better understand that their actions on social media can have lasting effects on their lives. On multiple occasions, I have heard that Ben’s talk was one of the most impactful talks that we have hosted at the school. Parents, teachers, and students all agree that it was important for everyone to hear what Ben had to say.”
— Dang Nguyen, Dean of Curriculum, Mary Star of the Sea High School (San Pedro, CA)
“Ben Tracy gives a very personal account on how the misuse of social media can come back to haunt students in their careers, college applications, scholarships, etc. After his presentation, we had several students show concern regarding their social media content as well as inquiring about how to delete or better secure their accounts. Our school district has discussed making this a regular presentation as a way to promote more responsible social media use.”
— Carrie Griffith, Principal, Wethersfield Junior-Senior High School (Kewanee, IL)
“I reached out to Ben Tracy after noticing several athletes inside the Saint Xavier University athletic department tweeting comments that generated a lot of likes and comments but were wildly unprofessional. I asked if he would come talk to the student athletes and share his experience in hopes that he might be able to guide these young people away from bad practices on social media. I’m happy to say I’ve noticed a significant drop in poor posts from within our athletic department! I give a lot of credit to this trend towards what Ben spoke about that day, challenging these young people to think before they post and the effects that social media can have on your current and future life!”
— Kyle Rago, Head Coach, Saint Xavier University Cross County / Track & Field
“Our admin team appreciated his research in finding social media posts from our own students. Students can relate to Ben and we appreciated his direct, open, and honest communication during the presentation.”
— Dr. Ashly McGinnis, Principal, Lafayette High School (St. Joseph, MO)
“Ben Tracy came to our campus and gave our school quite the education in social media. Mr. Tracy, through his great story telling, told our students a powerful message on the dangers of the internet. His own personal story left our kids wondering “what happens if that was me effect”! Mr. Tracy not only showed us his story but he was able to do extensive research into the problems that our own school was going through by finding numerous situations that are occurring in our school. Mr. Tracy’s story and message is a must for all students and adults to hear!”
— Walter Townes, Dean of Students, Knox School (St. James, NY)
“I highly recommend Mr. Ben Tracy as a guest speaker on the subject of Social Media. Ben's real-life experience resonated with our students and parents. He was able to connect with them on a level that not many speakers can. After his high school presentation, one student commented, "His story was real and it made me stop and think about the things that I have posted." Ben also spoke at our intermediate school and the students there had so many comments and questions that he actually stayed almost an hour longer to talk with them. He really cares!"
— Mary Lanier, Principal, Deer Creek-Mackinaw High School (Mackinaw, IL)
“Ben’s presentation was what we needed to support our Digital Citizenship initiative at South Callaway. He immediately engaged our student body by sharing some of their “not so appropriate” social media postings on the big screen for all to see. Ben’s story could happen to any of our students BUT doesn’t need to happen with proactive information. Social media is a personal advertisement and the presentation focuses on selling yourself in the most positive ways.”
— Heather Helsel, Principal, South Callaway High School (Mokane, MO)
“I would recommend Mr. Ben Tracy to any school district. In today’s social media craze, students do not understand how their comments now can have a lasting effect on their future. Mr. Tracy’s experience hit home for my students. His story and background was very relatable for my students. It is one thing for me as the principal to warn students about using social media properly. It is another thing for them to hear of an actual real-life experience and hopefully learn from it.” ”
— Brad Gooding, Principal, Rushville-Industry High School (Rushville, IL)