The growing focus on mental health at the Olympic Games is bringing attention to the pitfalls and benefits of social media use by athletes
Staff members carry signs with Covid-19 safety measurements as they walk around the media area near the collection point in Miyagi Stadium, during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Sendai, the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture, Japan on July 31, 2021. REUTERS/AMR ABDALLAH DALSH
“There are definitely a lot of mean people out there who just say stuff that don’t need to be said,” said US gymnast Sunisa Lee after winning gold in the women’s individual all-around event on Thursday. Many athletes use social media to feel empowered by sharing their voice, expanding their sphere of influence, fostering connections and building personal brands, said Fernando Frias, a sports psychologist at Oregon State University. But the significance of the Olympics, compounded with heightened national pride, also means more people are likely to direct negativity at athletes online.
Rayssa Leal, the 13-year-old Brazilian skateboarder, added 4.5-million Instagram followers over two days after she won a silver medal, according to Facebook. And quitting social media may not even be an option for some athletes, particularly those from poorer countries for whom building an online following has been instrumental to their success. For example, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, who won the first gold medal ever for the Philippines, got enough money to go to Tokyo after posting an Instagram story in 2019 asking for financial support.
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