Fortunato 1 Cortney Fortunato Professor Dietel-McLaughlin Multimedia Writing and Rhetoric 15 November 2013 To Tweet or Not to Tweet: The

Evils of Social Media on College Student-Athletes 140 characters, one picture, one Facebook status update, one retweet, one like. One wouldnt think that these small aspects of social media that we participate in everyday could make or break a student athletes collegiate career, but it can. There are more than 80 million Facebook users and over 30 million people on Twitter. College athletes are among a small minority of these millions that dont get to enjoy the freedom to do what they wish with their accounts like many other users of social media do; and many of these student athletes endure constant criticism and are under a close and watchful eye. Collegiate student athletes are expected to do more than just have fun connecting with friends and communicating with peers. They are expected the most of and held to a higher standard than all the rest, even though they are young adolescents trying to be as normal as possible among their peers. Although social media is supposed to be an outlet for kids to have fun and be carefree, for student-athletes it is quite the opposite. Instead, social media it is yet another instance in which they are being watched very carefully. The social media world is a hard place for elite student athletes to survive in. Although advances in technology and social media in particular seem to be positive and bring people closer together, they have had an overall negative impact on collegiate level athletes by: being an added burden to their already hectic lives, putting pressure and stress on them mentally, physically, and psychologically, and by having a hazardous effect on their identity as a normal college kid like their peers.

Fortunato 2 Social media sites are easy places for college student-athletes to say what they want without really thinking about the long-term effects and the impact that their actions within social media can have on their personal careers as well as their teams image. Unfortunately a number of student-athletes have found themselves in trouble because of social media mess-ups, leading to a whole array of problems combined with tearful apologies. For example, Stephanie Rice, who was at the time a 22 year old Australian Olympic swimmer, made a heartfelt public apology after using a racial slur on Twitter (Hutchins/Rowe 89). Rice wasnt thinking and just posted what she thought to be an innocent comment regarding a rugby match, not realizing it would cause such uproar among the press and in the media. There have been plenty of cases of these social media hiccups among student-athletes that have led to them getting in trouble. Whether it be a racial slur, inappropriate language, sexually or racially insensitive posts, or underage drinking/illegal drug use to name a few, the take away here is that there are many ways in which student-athletes can get themselves into problems if they arent smart and responsible enough to be conscious of what they are posting when using social media. Many student-athletes have learned the hard way that once something is posted on the Internet it is there forever, no matter how fast you delete it, as Chun puts it, its a virtual tattoo You tweet or Facebook something, and it is could be there forever. You have to be smart about it (Auerbach). Due to the youth and low maturity levels of some student-athletes, there are bound to be instances of mistakes made by some who dont think before they press post, which result in consequences for the student-athlete. Some of the consequences that may come about after being found guilty of an inappropriate act over social media include: loss of scholarship, team suspension, team disqualification, individual suspension and disqualification, expulsion from the team, and even expulsion from the college (Gibbs).

Fortunato 3 As a result of the potential threats that social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have on student-athletes personal careers as well as team reputations, some college coaches ban the use of these social media domains on their teams to eliminate these potential threats. For the past few years the Notre Dame womens soccer team has not been allowed to have a Facebook. This is an example of coaches taking out their own anxiety and nerves created by the dangers of social media on the team. The coaches that enforce these rules are the ones who are sick of social media consuming the team, practices, workouts and games (Gibbs). However, this takes away from part of the college culture and a chance for student-athletes to interact with their peers. The vast majority of student athletes use social media with only good intentions, Student-athletes motivations for using Twitter fell into the following categories: keeping in contact, communicating with followers, and accessing information (Bradley and Sanderson). It is unfair for the players who are wise and responsible in the social media world, and now miss out due to others mistakes in the past. Other coaches require their players to use monitoring programs like Varsity Monitor and UDiligence to help ensure that student-athletes are representing the institution in a positive way (Gregory 2). These softwares give the companies access to a student-athletes wall posts and other content that friends and followers may see. As explained by Gregory, The program flags a standard list of about 600 words, which schools can add or subtract terms from, in categories such as profanity, violence, alcohol, sex and texting acronyms. When these words pop up the program alerts athletes, coaches and players. Although these programs may seem like a good idea, the idea of first amendment rights as well privacy and self-expression rights is immediately questioned. One Maryland state senator, Ronald Young, was not happy about these rights being taken from student-athletes and expressed his feelings legally speaking very bluntly, I think its

Fortunato 4 violating the Constitution to have someone give up their username or password (Paulson). Other legislative officials questioned, If you monitor, will students feel free to express themselves? Many student-athletes like basketball players Danny Jennings and Xavier Mercurio argue that although some inappropriate tweets may get some players in trouble, it is also an opportunity to show the fans a bit of their personalities: who the players that put on the jersey are off the court (Talty). Others, out of frustration with the monitoring programs end up deleting their social media accounts all together, Nothing good comes out of it, really, if you really think about it. You cant say what you want on it anyways, because its all monitored, so you might as well not even have it (Auerbach). This again isnt fair to student-athletes who are missing out on being a normal, carefree kid and being able to express themselves over social media while communicating with peers. The larger question remains: should colleges censor the posts and tweets of their athletes, and if so to what extent? Although evidence shows that social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook can be potentially harmful to student-athletes and their affiliations with their colleges and reputations, this is not the case for all student-athletes, at least not the smart and responsible ones. So why should all of them be categorized as the same and punished accordingly? Many universities have started to recognize this and realized that coaches monitoring and regulating every word kids are saying on social media isnt doing them any favors in the long run. Some officials are saying that, Facebook is the town square of our age. Were just trying, in some sense, to let kids be kids (Gregory). This shows that people are starting to recognize social media is an important part of adolescent life, and banning the use of it by college athletes is wrong. Many successful retired coaches expressed their opinions on social media, stating that they would allow the use of it until it became a problem, and then take it from there, monitoring

Fortunato 5 and restricting certain players use accordingly (Bradley). Some universities are realizing that, the best approach is to give student-athletes the education they need to enter the workplace and to become well-rounded citizens. That includes the smart and responsible use of social media (Paulson). Social media eliminates the little privacy that spotlight student-athletes once had, by further invading their private lives. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckenberg has famously said that, because of social networks, privacy is no longer a social norm(Clemmitt). This is especially true for collegiate student-athletes. The exceptional ones are in a way punished because of social media sites in their private lives. For example, last year when Notre Dame All-American football star Manti Teo was humiliated after being hoaxed by his fictional girlfriend, the whole world knew about it, and people are still making fun of him for it today. He was completely humiliated, and couldnt deal with the person situation in a private matter, because of social media. This Manti Teo scandal not only displays the issue of privacy for student-athletes in social media, but also the idea that people can now hide behind social media and say what they want more freely without thinking twice. Notre Dames athletic director Jack Swarbrick had something to say in response to the Teo scandal and how social media is having a negative effect on society, arguing that, The situation constitutes a terrible statement about where we are today and how social media is a tool in some really bad stuff (Clemmitt). Yet, Teo is not the only student-athlete who has been victimized by the luxury of people hiding behind social media. Kentucky players were victims of hate mail after losing a big game, the players were said to be attentive to what negative things were being said about them... Though hate mail has always been around, it was a lot harder to get in the past. Now with the immediacy of Twitter, its immediately in front of their eyeballs (Auerbach). People use social media in order to say whatever they want, as

Fortunato 6 Auerbach puts it, people just draft 140 characters and hit send, not knowing or caring how it will make the recipient feel, while Browning and Sanderson took this further saying, plenty hide behind the security of anonymity while sending critical tweets. The social media landscape gives fans and critics the power of staying anonymous and keeping their distance from the student-athletes whos lives they are destroying with their cruel words. It is due to these types of instances that college student-athletes have an added psychological burden placed on them. Due to the advancements of social media, athletes are constantly being watched, analyzed and criticized for all of their actions both on and off the field. Athletes can become consumed with what is being written about them as people and players, start to believe it and get into their own heads, which will negatively effect their play. The constant chirps of negativity coming from social media, whether it be concerning players performances on the field or actions off the field, can become very frustrating and tormenting to college student-athletes. Some athletes like Willie Cauley- Stein just delete their Twitter accounts all together due to all the negativity being said about them. It becomes mentally draining, it makes kids not even want to stay connected to the social media world at all. It has been observed that the players are drawn to look at these posts on social media about them, whether they be negative or positive reviews, because as a young kid you are obviously going to want to know what is being said about you. The live tweeting of games has also been an added pressure on these young student-athletes lives, as their every move on the field is reported and then discussed around the globe. As if the added pressure that social media places on players on the field isnt enough, they are also subject to criticism and constantly being watched off the field.

Fortunato 7 Now student-athletes need to be extra cautious with every move they make, always making sure that they are doing no wrong. Even if they are responsible and arent posting pictures of themselves on social media sites, they might be in pictures that are posted online unknowingly that they can get in trouble for. Again, they carry the constant burden of always worrying about maintaining a perfect self-image off the field. One student-athlete exclaims, Everyones watching you all the time, and things you put and say on social media is all part of your personal brand. I know from personal experience, being a collegiate student-athlete myself that I am always worried what my social media profiles look like, and especially the pictures that are posted of me by other people. Even though I dont participate in drinking myself, when I am out at parties and a picture is taken of me it is always in the back of my mind to make sure there is no alcohol present in the picture, because even though Im not drinking, someone viewing my profile, like my coach for example, could make the assumption that I am. In my experience advancements in social media have definitely been burdensome on student-athletes because it doesnt fully allow you to relax and be carefree. I know that my college experience as a studentathlete is definitely different than other student-athletes in the past, who once they left the field, they were just a regular kid on campus living the same way all the other students do. I feel that many people forget that college student-athletes are just kids, trying to juggle a million different things while staying at the top in the athletic world. Social media makes it impossible for kids to just be kids, and have a break from the critical spotlight. Once they leave the field. As a result of social media there is no escaping the spotlight, once you leave the field, you are still consumed by all the drama that comes with your sport, and under constant criticism on social media sites. Browning and Sanderson express their opinions regarding kids in the shoes of college athletes, Student-athletes are in precarious position because they are amateurs, are

Fortunato 8 managing educational pursuits while holding essentially the a full-time job with their athletic demands, and are subject to greater penalties for social-media missteps (e.g., loss of athletic eligibility) than professional athletes. College student athletes shouldnt have to promote themselves and their teams the same way that profession athletes are expected to, because it is not their job, being a student athlete is not supposed to be an occupation, they are not getting paid. Some may argue that they are on a scholarship that is taking care of their college tuitions, but they arent receiving money in their bank accounts or any type of salary like professionals are. Therefore, student athletes should not be required or expected to live their lives on social media in the same fashion as professional athletes. When professional athletes choose sports as their profession they realize that this is part of the job description, and then choose to live like that. This is just another way in which social media has become a burden on young student athletes lives, instead of an escape away from the sports world. Social media just adds another pressure and burden onto the lives of young student-athletes that are just trying to kids. In my opinion they are expected to do to much from social media and arent able to just be an innocent naive kid, they have to grow up and be mature and overly cautious about everything they do, knowing that social media is waiting for them to mess up. Social media has added a new pressure and burden to college student-athletes lives, because now athletes not only need to make a name for themselves on the fields, and maintain a certain image, but also in the social media world. For instance, there have been numerous cases in my life that fellow student athletes have been nominated for awards, and a large part of the vote in choosing the better athlete was influenced by votes on Twitter and Facebook, where people might vote for one player over another based on their personal Twitter account as opposed to their athletic ability. In these cases the better athlete doesnt always win due to social

Fortunato 9 media sites where people cast their votes more based on Facebook profiles and Tweets rather than the athletes talent on the field. As a result of cases like these student athletes Twitters and Facebooks become more about team and self -promotion rather than an outlet for personal expression, away from the athletic world, where student athletes can interact with other normal students and just feel like a regular kid. Student athletes may feel uncomfortable and in a bit of an identity crisis, because they are trying to be someone they arent just to become more popular on social media sites, in hopes of becoming more popular in their sport. Social media has made making a name for yourself as an athlete on the field not enough, now requiring making a name for yourself off the field in the social media world just as important. The fear of out of sight out of mind is striking young collegiate athletes, making them become more engaged in the world of social media. During an interview with ESPNs Henry Abbott, C.J. McCollum was unexpectedly ripped apart due to his sad Twitter game and his low number of followers. Abbott uses terms to describe C.J. and his Twitter performance as uncool, unpopular, and not: sexy or macho like other athletes. He was bullied regarding some of his tweets that included: helping out a child in elementary school by retweeting him so he could get extra credit in school, wanting a massage, which Abbot called unmanly, and giving a shout out to a WNBA player during her game that she had an incredible performance in. These are the situations that Abbott was scrutinized for on his Twitter, instances in which he was being himself, a nice genuine 22year- old rookie. Because he is a rookie, coming straight out of college, he is expected to make a name for himself in the social media world. This parallel seen between professional athletes and student athletes having to maintain their presence and create a certain identity for themselves in the social media world is unjust.

Fortunato 10 The perfect example of a super star collegiate athlete who has felt the negative effects of social media to their fullest recently is Johnny Manziel. The recent Heisman winner is the young face of college football. Johnny Manziel has gone through hell because of social media ever sense his breakthrough freshman season last year, where he won the National Championship and he was awarded the Heisman Trophy. Recently he has gotten in trouble for posting a picture of him holding alcohol, which was reported for under aged drinking. He also made the mistake of tweeting about his school and his excitement to leave college station soon rather than later. These two incidents have really are a result of Johnny being a boy trying to become a man (Thompson). Johnny is only a twenty-year-old kid who is under constant scrutiny from the media and social media sites. This constant pressure and burden resulting from his phenomenal athletic ability has caused him to lose his ways and get too involved and caught up by what people are saying about him on and off the field. His immaturity due to his youth have shown throughout these two incidents, as Johnny claims that, Its tough knowing that everything you do is being watched closely, because Im doing the same things Ive always done Its just now people actually care what I do (Auerbach). Attacks on Johnny saying that he needs to grow up or risk losing his future and to stop making excuses for his actions are all part of the mentally draining aspect of Johnnys life. After Johnny begged people to accept his public apology and try to understand his situation, he was even further criticized and ripped apart. He had to escape from college station and go back home before he completely had a mental break down. After he arrived home he was urged by his parents to go see a psychiatrist. While he was home, he watched on T.V. people rip on him and criticize him as a player, but more importantly as a person. He listened to peoples words and became consumed in them. Social media really tested the boundaries and pushed the limits to the max for Johnny Manziel.

Fortunato 11 As Thompson states, Things fall apart People on the outside only see the final collapse: the drunken photo, the fight outside a bar, the angry tweet. They never see the slow decay, because that happens in private. This erosion is now the most prominent thing in Johnnys life, because it digs into every part of him, erasing and molding, shaping who he will become. Will he grow to understand and manage it? Or will he crumble, becoming a trivia answer or a cautionary tale? This quote really sums up how Johnny has been tested in every aspect of his life and how the social media played a large role in this deterioration of the naive and innocent boy who was unheard of last year before he was in the spotlight, but knew who he was and what he represented. Johnnys displayed drinking and angry tweets show the negative effects that social media has on collegiate athletes lives and how it can add a pressure and stress to their lives, while also being emotionally, physically and psychologically draining. The changes seen in Johnny also portray the hazardous effects that social media can have on student-athletes identity, and the struggle they may face in trying to stay true to themselves and remain as normal as a kid as possible among their peers. After observing student athletes like Johnny Manziel its hard not to see the obvious negative impact that social media has on elite collegiate student athletes. Although some may argue that the positives of social media out-way the negatives, I beg to differ. It is important that the world sees how negatively influential the social media world is on collegiate student athletes in every aspect of their lives. Social media and all its troubles, complications, burdens and added pressures that come along with it can easily destroy and torment student athletes mentally, emotionally and even physically, effecting their personal and athletic lives and careers. Actions need to be taken to start protecting student athletes against social media, while still allowing them to participate in the social media world and live their lives freely and expressively.

Fortunato 12 Hopefully after reading about the very real pressures and risks student athletes face because of social media, people will not only have a better understanding of the life styles student athletes live due to social media, but also be more sensitive and understanding and less critical when a young college kid makes a mistake on or off the field. Some fans may get too caught up in the sport and the athlete and not realize that these are real people wearing the jerseys who have feelings and can be injured by the criticism they face on social media sites. If action is taken now and student athletes begin to be protected by social media itself and the people using it with them, the future generations will hopefully not have to be concerned with these problems and the overall negative impact that social media brings upon student athletes.

Fortunato 13 Works Cited Abbot, Henry. C.J. McCollums Sad Twitter Game. TRUEHOOP. TRUEHOOP, Web Video. 13 Nov. 2013. Auerbach, Nicole. The Good and Bad of Twitter and College Athletes. USA Today Sports. USA Today, 10 Jan. 2013. Web. 31 Oct. 2013. Auerbach, Nicole. Athletes Chirp their Objections. EBSCOhost. USA Today, 11 Jan. 2013. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. Bradley, Ken. To Tweet or Not to Tweet? Sporting News. American City Business Journal, 12 Sept. 2011. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. Browning, Blair and Sanderson, Jimmy. The Positives and Negatives of Twitter: Exploring how Student-Athletes use Twitter and Respond to Critical Tweets. International Journal of Sport Communication. Human Kinetics, Inc., 2012. Web. 14 Nov. 2013. Clemmitt, Marcia. Social Media Explosion. CQ Researcher Online. CQ Press, 25 Jan. 2013. Web. 31 Oct. 2013. Gibbs, Megan. College Athletics vs Twitter. College Athletics Blog. CollegeXpress, 15 Jan. 2013. Web. 3 Nov. 2013. Gregory, John. Jock Police. Time. Time 180.17 (2012): 56-57. Print. Hutchins, Brett and David Rowe. Sport Beyond Television: The Internet, Digital Media and the Rise of Networked Media Sport. New York: Routledge, 2012. Print. Paulson, Ken. College Athlete Tweet Ban? Free Speech Slacks that Idea. USA Today. Print. Talty, John. How Social Media Affects College Athletics. IBTimes. IBTimes, 15 Dec. 2011. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.

Fortunato 14 Thompson, Wright. The Trouble with Johnny. ESPN The Magazine. ESPN, 6 Aug. 2013. Web. 9 Nov. 2013.