Social media is transforming the sports world by driving two-way communication with global fans, deepening fan engagement, and expanding revenue opportunities with teams and athletes. However, it is also a powerful tool that requires athletes and coaches to navigate well.
Athletes today use social media to brand themselves, grow their audience, raise awareness of issues they care about, increase their market value and endorsement chances, and position themselves for future earnings. As such, they must have a strong understanding of how to balance healthy engagement with harmful overuse.
This is not an easy task, as athletes face many challenges with social media. One is the constant comparison to other athletes that they follow on Instagram and Facebook, as well as a bombardment of filtered and artificially edited images and videos. Often, this can decrease self-belief for athletes and may lead to low mood and anxiety. Another issue is the potential for athletes to be cyberbullied or have their personal information shared without consent. This is particularly concerning for young athletes who are still forming their identity.
It is important for athletes and coaches to educate each other on how to properly manage social media. Athletes should be empowered to set their own goals for the way they want to use social media, while coaches should be more aware of what their athletes are consuming and how it might affect them. Educating on how to handle social media effectively can help athletes and coaches stay focused on what matters most—performing at their best and helping their community.