If you had told me 20 years ago when I started my basketball career that, by 2018, fans, sponsors, media and the like would have more direct insight, engagement and knowledge of their sporting heroes, I would have said you were dreaming. Fast-forward to today and I humbly eat my words. The aforementioned happens on a daily basis and is probably bigger than what everyone thought possible. The question is though, is it a good thing?
In less than 15 years we have seen exponential growth in Social Media. Facebook kicked it off with their platform in 2004, quickly followed by Twitter in 2006 for on the go immediate news updates. Then came Instagram in 2010 because why write when a picture can speak a thousand words and the following year saw the advent of Snapchat, where nothing ever lasts and disappears as quickly as you view it… or does it? Gone are the days where you read the newspaper or surfed the internet of main stream media pages to gain insight into your teams and their athletes. Now you have complete 24/7 access to most athletes around the globe as to what they ate for breakfast, whether they went to the gym today, washed their hair, what products they are endorsing… the list is endless. With such insight, today’s athletes, both professional and collegiate, are held to a higher standard and are under greater scrutiny compared to those who went before them. This life in a fishbowl can incur both positive and negative consequences.
"Now you have complete 24/7 access to most athletes around the globe as to what they ate for breakfast, whether they went to the gym today, washed their hair, what products they are endorsing… the list is endless."
My first experience of the negative impact of the internet and the inherent right to free speech came in 2008, when I made my first Australian Women’s Basketball Olympic Team. I can recall the exact moment as if it were yesterday. “Hi Jenni, congratulations you are headed to your first Olympics games with the Opals, well done.” I was lost for words. I could not contain my excitement. All those years of hard work had come to this. I was elated beyond words. It was released to the media the following day. At this point in time, Facebook was taking off, Twitter was in its infancy and Instagram had not even hit the market. But forums existed and was where armchair critics could have their voices too. I remember, after the team was announced, a conversation I overheard - “Did you see what they have written about the Opals selection.” Curiosity got the better of me and I went searching for the content. The majority of what I read was for the most part fair and in fact praising of mine and other teammates’ selections. But it’s the 1 out of 100 comments which you come across that you end up hanging on to, stew over and ultimately becomes your focus. Lack of self-efficacy - the ability to believe in one’s ability - was always my biggest downfall as an athlete. Perhaps many athletes can relate? I struggled daily to believe in myself but was rather persistent due more to my fear of failure that drove me to reach heights I did not know I was capable of. The sad reality of self-efficacy is that it can be easily influenced by others and what they tell the individual. My mindset had shifted from being proud of making the team and that I head earned it to 'I do not deserve this', maybe I am not good enough, maybe what they say is true?’
Ein Beitrag geteilt von Jenni Screen (@jenniscreen9) am
Now, my sporting career’s media attention pales into insignificance when you look at the likes of other sporting stars whose followings are insanely scary. Cristiano Ronaldo leads the way with almost 120 million followers on Instagram (for perspective, that is Australia’s population of 25 million five times over!). Our own basketball royalty like LeBron James comes in with 36.9 million followers and Steph Curry with 17.1 million. FIBA Players Commission Members Jimmy Alapag and Amaya Valdemoro - who is also Spanish basketball royalty - have 126K and 26K Instagram followers respectively. The landscape has well and truly shifted for the professional athlete in the media. No longer are you only preparing for the rigors of your sport, you are equally trying - if you so choose - to build a social media empire. With that comes an ever-increasing ability for people to voice their opinions of you. More often than not it’s not an opinion of poor performances in the arena that are the issue but attacks on race, gender, religion, your character, your perceived sexual preference, even possibly your family and friends.
"No longer are you only preparing for the rigors of your sport, you are equally trying - if you so choose - to build a social media empire."
In a recent article from Huffington Post with Director of Insight Elite Performance Psychology, Grant Brecht, a sports psychologist for more than 16 years, he says that athletes of all ages - but especially those younger and less experienced - can be tipped over the edge when attacked on social media. "Elite athletes can be under enormous stress competing day after day at a very high level, and the resulting stresses and emotional 'hits' from social media posts can be too much for some," Brecht said. In addition, he stated: "Quite a few athletes suffer from their own quite severe mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety, and the negativity of some of the social media postings can heighten the feelings of distress and uncertainty felt by these athletes."
So here are some tips that I use to cope with Social Media and not allow anyone the opportunity to have the power over my feelings:
• Ignorance is Bliss: It all comes down to choices. You can choose to read the content or not. It is up to you. Whilst the temptation to read content is there, sometimes not clicking on the link or reading the comments is the best thing you can do. • Be YOU: Use your platform to be true to you. Equally, know that if you choose to put yourself out there, be prepared to OWN it and take responsibility for your content. • DE-activate: Social media can become addictive, a time waster and cause a false sense of worth leading to anxiety. Studies are now revealing the negative effects that device usage can have on an individual. These range from affecting sleep, mood swings, to issues with confidence and self-worth - all elements that athletes require to be able to be at their best. • DO Good: Remember that as athletes we have our own platform to effect change and do good. There is enough sadness in this world that we do not need to add to it. Instead, those athletes among you who have a following, use your forum for positive engagement, giving back to those who need a lift and simply promoting your sport and the benefits both physical and mentally of engaging in it. • The POWER to push DELETE: Don’t get me wrong, now that I’m retired I have had the urge to write content about athletes playing their sport at times - who hasn’t? But I implore you to check your moral compass before pressing enter. Ask yourself ‘Will I regret this in a day’s time?’ If the answer is YES, then push DELETE. Just because we have an opinion does not mean that it needs to be heard. So erring on the side of caution and choosing kindness rather than 180 characters of hot headedness could save you a hell of a lot of unnecessary drama.
Social media is here to stay. The ability for fans to engage with your athletes will only continue to grow, and the subsequent positive and negative effects of social media will remain. Like any product, social media is a tool. It is a tool of choice. Choosing not to be on social media makes you no less of an athlete. What speaks is your ability to perform week in and week out and if social media aids in this and increases your profile and ability to earn money, even better. But then again, if it is becoming a detriment to why you started your career in the first place (and I am sure it wasn’t to be a social media sensation aka Kim Kardashian) then perhaps it’s time to rethink your necessities in life?
"Ask yourself ‘Would I like this to be said about me, my wife, husband, perhaps even my child?’ Always think twice and press enter once. Because, remember, it can never be taken back"
This reality is a scary prospect for athletes in the modern age of sport and one I did not see coming 20 years ago. Granted whilst we wish for everyone to have the ability to free speech, the waters between free speech and abhorrent destructive bullying type behaviour is skating on thin ice. The consequences of such behaviour are non-existent and there are athletes that maybe do not have the coping skills to deal with such taunt. So, to the keyboard warriors out there who sit face- and name-less, I encourage your enthusiasm and passion for your teams. It’s what makes sport that extra special. But do not be confused by supporting your athletes at the expense of other ones nor condemning them when they do not fit your moral judgement. Contrary to popular belief, athletes are not superhuman. They are not Gods. They are in fact, no different to the rest of the population. They have feelings, they to go to work every day trying to be the best that they can. They deal with adversity, and they too have a story. So the next time you go to write something in the heat of the moment and full of rage and emotion, ask yourself ‘Would I like this to be said about me, my wife, husband, perhaps even my child?’ Always think twice and press enter once. Because, remember, it can never be taken back. It’s in black and white forever and the consequences could be everlasting.