A simple online post can have life altering ramifications.

For a 15 year old Cochrane teen, uttering threats online through a social media app lead to an arrest and charges being laid.

RCMP are asking people to think before they post, taking the time to think about the consequences of their words.

"You want to be very cautious about what you are posting because it could have criminal ramifications depending on what you're putting out there," said RCMP Constable Jennifer Brewer.

Brewer said what you put online on social media sites can have a lingering effect.

"It's not a private matter, even when you have high security settings. Whatever you post on the internet, or on these apps is out there forever."

For sites such as Snapchat that advertise that each post will be deleted within a certain amount of time, Brewer explained that they never actually go away.

"If you know how to use your phone you can make it stay and keep it in your records. It can be tracked back to the owner of the account."

Brewer encourages parents to monitor their children's online activities, and to talk to their kids about the proper use of social media. 

"Talk to your children about what's appropriate internet behaviour and what's not; look at their phones, and their accounts. Parents do forget that they are allowed to look at their accounts, if your child is under the age of 18 you are still responsible for them."

For individuals who are experiencing cyber bullying, Brewer recommends that you block any posts that you don't want on your account, talk to someone about what your experiencing, report it to the website, and if it becomes criminal in nature, report it to the RCMP.