Athletes and sports business professionals use social media to communicate with fans and build their personal brands. They also use it to stay informed of real-time sporting news on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook.
The ability to share personal social media content humanizes athletes, making them more relatable and creating a loyal following. Moreover, athletes are able to amplify social issues and make a difference in the lives of others. For example, Jah’kiyla Atwaters used her social media presence to raise money for children who can’t afford to play sports.
While the popularity of social media has increased, it can present challenges for athletes, particularly young athletes. Athletes are vulnerable to negative online feedback and criticism, often resulting in a loss of confidence. They can also be subjected to cyberbullying and a lack of privacy protection.
While it’s important for all users to understand the impact of their social media activity, young athletes have unique needs and must be educated on how to balance healthy engagement with harmful overuse. For instance, scrolling on social media prior to training can lead to cognitive fatigue and negatively impact training performance. Youth and high school sports coaches, organizations and leaders should support getting phones out of team settings and educating their athletes on the impact of social media on mental health, wellbeing and training performance. Athletes should also be encouraged to seek help from a licensed professional if they are struggling with an issue related to their social media use.