Social media has created a generation of adults who cannot forget their youthful transgressions, and recently Angelina Jolie’s ugly past came back to haunt her when video footage surfaced of her aged 24, buying drugs from convicted drug dealer Franklin Meyer.

The footage showed her in a messy apartment looking distressed and scratching her skin as she made a rambling telephone call, which was allegedly to her father, actor Jon Voight.

There was theatrically shocked reaction to the footage from the public and media, who were shocked by how different she looked from the respected humanitarian she is today.

However, Angelina has never denied that she had a wild youth and has spoken publicly about “heavier, darker times,” and surviving them.

She acknowledges that she is very lucky to have survived that period of her life.

Nevertheless, it can be difficult for anyone to see evidence of their youthful stupidity on screen, particularly if they have children who may see it too.

This is one of the downsides of living in an age where social media archives our past mistakes.

The Garth Brooks affair is another example of how the Irish can become riddled with mortification over events that have an international aspect.

Irish hipsters were initially worried that Garth Brooks’ country music concert would make them an international laughing stock, but then they were appalled when it was announced that there would be no concerts at all.

The phrase “our reputation is in tatters” was repeated in the media all week.

However, a scan across the international media on Wednesday showed that our reputation was largely intact, and the rest of the world didn’t care about the Garth problem.

Victoria Beckham was caught on Vine at the Wimbledon Men’s Final last week, sitting awkwardly between her husband and Samuel L Jackson.

Beckham looked like a gauche, unwilling teenager at a parent’s dinner party, and her lack of enthusiasm went viral, providing the haters and trollers with a slagging bonanza.

The reasons for Victoria’s discomfiture are unknown, but it could be that she finds it difficult to talk to people she doesn’t know.

The announcement of the new Cabinet line-up in Ireland was delayed several times, causing fevered speculation and endless chatter from the media.

There were so many rumours that one could be forgiven for expecting Elvis himself to put in an appearance.

However, when the announcement was finally made, there was a sense of anti-climax, as if the country had suddenly realised that it doesn’t matter who’s the Minister in Charge of Paper Clips.

Perhaps it was a cunning plan by the Taoiseach and new Labour leader Joan Burton to bore us into submission.

In Northern Ireland, the biggest controversy last week was about a cake made by Christian bakers who refused to make a cake with a gay message on it.

The controversy was irritating because it assumes that Bert and Ernie are gay, when they may just want to share the rent.

Moreover, it is as hard to openly get away with discriminating against gay people on the grounds that it’s against your religion as it is by saying “Big Bird says we can do this.”

The better approach would be to say that you don’t want to serve them because they’ll go straight to their stomachs and cause flabby abs.

The World Cup is coming to an end, and tonight we will have the final, which probably won’t be a classic.

However, it has been an interesting World Cup with the greatest meltdown in the history of all sport.

Brazil’s brain freeze against Germany may well be the biggest public capitulation we have ever seen in any walk of life.

It began with tearful Brazilian players paying tribute to the absent Neymar, making it seem as if he had been killed in a horrific accident, and it ended with the same players crying like kids whose parents had forgotten to collect them from school, being jeered by tens of thousands of fans.

Social media has become a double-edged sword.

While it allows us to connect with others and share our experiences, it also has the power to archive our past mistakes for all to see.

This is particularly relevant for celebrities whose every move is scrutinised by the media and the public.

The example of Angelina Jolie’s past highlights the fact that youthful mistakes can come back to haunt you in the future.

Similarly, the Garth Brooks affair and Victoria Beckham’s awkward display at Wimbledon show that the Irish can become obsessed with what others think about them, particularly when events have an international aspect.

The delay in the announcement of the new Cabinet line-up also highlights the tendency to focus on the trivial instead of the important.

The controversy in Northern Ireland over a cake made by Christian bakers who refused to make a cake with a gay message on it shows that discrimination against gay people is still an issue in some parts of the world.

However, the fact that this was the biggest controversy in the North last week suggests that progress is being made.

As the World Cup draws to a close, we are reminded of the power of sport to unite and divide people.

Brazil’s defeat at the hands of Germany was a humiliating experience for the team and their fans, but it also showed the resilience of the human spirit.

Regardless of the outcome of the final, the World Cup has provided us with moments of joy, drama and inspiration.