By JOHN RIOUX

Every year, as the college football season comes to an end, fans switch their focus from bowl games to high school recruits. Seventeen and 18 year olds’ lives become open to public scrutiny. Every tweet, Facebook message and Instagram is analyzed.

Although many look at these young men as unfairly examined, the news and sports media are readying them for what the future holds.

We can no longer bring up young athletes at the slow pace that occurred in the past. Having back-to-back freshman Heisman Trophy winners, we salivate at what the recruits our favorite teams bring in can do.

Maturing and learning how to make independent decisions is one of the greatest tasks college students face the first time they walk onto campus. The attention these athletes are receiving is something they are going to have to continue to deal with for the rest of their lives.

With things such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, there is no longer an off-season in sports. While games may end, fans are looking for another outlet to get their sports fix.

As athletes progress in their careers, they will continue to see their tweets become more heavily debated. It is important for them to learn to monitor what they say through social media outlets at a young age.

By limiting the attention these young men get, we are only setting them up for greater social stress in the future.