Like it or not, social media is here to stay. Student athletes, often looked at as leaders within their respective schools and communities, sometimes get caught up using social media in irresponsible and dangerous ways leading to negative consequences. For example, some student athletes have made offensive social media posts that have resulted in detention, suspension, and even dismissal from the team. In worst-case scenarios student athletes have lost scholarship opportunities when college coaches have found their social media posts to be in poor taste. It is for these reasons that student athletes understand the potential impact of social media, the dangers associated with derogatory messaging, and the positive things social media can be used for as it applies to leadership and role modeling.
The top 5 tips for student athletes using social media
It’s likely that while every student athlete you know has a social media presence, only a small percentage of these kids have given much thought to the impact their messages can have on others. As social media develops and becomes even more a part of our every day lives, it’s important that we remind kids of a few basic ideas to help keep posts positive and safe.
- Don’t post emotionally and/or immediately. One great thing about social media is that it’s fast, but this same feature can be a curse, too. For example, when we are emotional we often say things we haven’t thought evaluated and processed. Rather than working through our thoughts, we have the option to quickly punch a few keys and hit send — but as we all know that isn’t always the best thing to do. Instead, take a day or two to think about issues that trigger emotions, and think about how the message will be received and the consequences of your decision to potentially post.
- Remember, messages never go away. While it might sound like common sense to a lot of people, many kids today don’t take into consideration that social messages never delete. Even when messages are removed, there is always the risk of someone having taken a screen shot and your message living on in eternity.
- Outside perceptions may be different than what you intended. It is not uncommon for receivers of a message to take away a different meaning that what the sender intended — and this is especially true of social media. Slang messages are especially risky, as are messages that relate to ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, and political views.
- The viral speed of messaging. Social media messages move around at lightening speed, and many student athletes have learned the hard way how quickly unintended receivers can learn about off-color posts. For student athletes, potential college coaches who may be recruiting them will most definitely comb the web for messages out there, and many potential college student athletes have lost scholarship opportunities because of how they presented on social media.
- Use social media in pro-social ways. OK, enough about all of the bad things that can happen with social media, what about the good?? Fortunately student athletes can use social media for team building, generating excitement in the school/community, and with other altruistic experiences including helping others and volunteering. Use social media to share videos from games, promote upcoming events, and recognize coaches and teammates whenever possible.
Final thoughts
Social media continues to be more a part of our lives every day, and it’s likely this trend will only continue in the future. Most kids, however, are not taught how to effectively use social media, nor are they generally warned about the potential dramatic impact of their tweets and social media posts. Help kids understand that it’s best to think through messaging, refrain from posting when emotional, and use social media in positive and healthy ways whenever possible.
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