Social media is different from TV.
However, social media is here to stay. One ought not to be an impediment to progress. In this regard, I have always adopted the position that, when discussing social media, one should focus on the positives rather than the negatives. However, it’s also important to identify the negative aspects.
Social media is both a blessing and a curse. It gives people a sense of power and relevance they may not really have. It makes experts of us all; in other words, it can create fake experts. Everyone wants to be, or believes they are, a social media influencer, and they seem more interested in that than in being good at what they may actually be good at.
In an article entitled “The Dangers of Social Media for Athletes,” the writer Joe Davis presented some interesting information.
Davis pointed out that it is no secret that social media platforms have been designed to capture as much of our attention as possible, with features that keep users hooked integrated into their existence by Silicon Valley’s psychology and tech experts. According to Davis, it is fair to say that their mission to exploit our psychological vulnerabilities and monetise subconscious addictive traits has been a monumental success.
Studies suggest that, of the 4.48 billion active social media users, people spend an average of 2-3 hours on social media per day. To put those numbers into context, this equates to almost five years of a person’s lifespan and, more alarmingly, over 210 million people have confessed that they are affected by social media addiction.
While high social media usage is a universal issue and one that is seemingly unfixable, it is the relationship with excessive validation and reassurance that is the most toxic and damaging element for athletic performance–and the issue that Davis believes is most detrimental to an athlete’s mental well-being.
He further went on to say: “Falling into the realms of social media can be the start of a landslide for any elite athlete. Due to its design, addictions can be easily formed, which is largely attributed to the dopamine-inducing social environment that social networking sites promote.”
Studies have proven that platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram produce the same neural circuitry that is caused by gambling and recreational drugs to keep consumers using their products. Another study revealed that the constant stream of retweets, likes, and shares from these sites causes the brain’s reward area to trigger the same kind of chemical reaction seen with drugs like cocaine.
Elysee Gorrel of Brock University, in a paper titled “How Social Media is Changing the Game for Athletes,” wrote: “My PhD research found that many athletes are unaware of how social media affects their mental game and performance.”
For many athletes, social media platforms have become tools for building a personal brand, differentiating themselves from other competitors, and ultimately having more control over their public image. In turn, social media can allow them to seek out sponsorships and endorsement deals.
However, research also shows there are negative side effects to social media use. It exposes athletes to public scrutiny and online abuse from fans, and can lead to effects similar to cyberbullying.
“Social media in sports has become a constant background noise, whispering opinions, judgements, comparisons, and unrealistic expectations. Social media in sports can turn a great performance into not enough, a mistake into a headline.” — Dr Wayne Chappelle.
