Sampson 1 Courtney Sampson Dr.

Dietel-McLaughlin Multimedia Writing & Rhetoric 7 April 2014 Young Athletes Being Misinterpreted on Social Media After a painful loss with unexpected lineup changes and unrelenting harassment from the coach, a collegiate basketball player is more than ready to hit the showers and recover from a mentally and physically challenging game. He settles into his futon in his dorm room and pulls out his smartphone while he consumes all the recovery-inducing protein bars and Gatorade drinks he can get his hands on. As he reads through his Twitter feed, he reflects on what happened in the game, what he could have done better, and what the whole team can improve upon. He types into his smartphone, Tough loss boys, couldve gone better if hed given me the chance to help #comeoncoach #notabenchwarmer and presses the Tweet button. Within minutes, he is retweeted hundreds, thousands of times, with even more favorites on the post. Theres no telling how many others saw that post, too, because people see the posts that the people they follow retweet. Suddenly, another Twitter user replies to the tweet, making a comment on how poorly he played when he was put in the game. Another Twitter user replies to this tweet, proclaiming that the first commenter is the epitome of ignorance when it comes to sports. It becomes an eruption of jabs at the player, about the game itself, about the coach, about rumors surrounding the colleges basketball program, etc. Within minutes, the tweet even winds up on ESPNs post-game show after they broadcast the game. Later, at a press conference, countless reporters interrogate the coach and the player, Whats the team atmosphere like? Do you think the obstacle of the drama on the team can be overcome by the next game? Do you

Sampson 2 think your coach is going to lead you guys to failure? and other questions that no one really ever wanted to spring up, especially when they are skewing just one players unfiltered thoughts. The players single post snowballed into an unforeseen avalanche, which could have been prevented had he received direct instruction on appropriate communication as a representation of a university. The recent epidemic of popularity of social media usage has had a myriad of effects on human interaction and perception, and so the reception of very visible posts by well-known performers, like collegiate athletes, has become skewed. A person already becomes vulnerable by putting ones thoughts out in the open in the world of social media; being a member of a team and representing a city or a university unfortunately can further magnify the general publics already skewed perceptions of that organization. A single negative tweet can be drawn out to the extreme- ultimately creating a worse reputation and more unwanted drama than the original tweeter intended (or expected). This recent phenomena is not an issue exclusive to young male basketball players, but rather a worldwide topic of discussion for all athletes, male and female, regardless of the team. For female athletes, the issue can be even more complex because women are often measured in sexual appeal rather than their accomplishments, so the immediate reaction to a picture they post on Instagram or Facebook, in addition to what they tweet, can be inaccurate and unfavorable. In order to maintain the image of the university or city they are representing, as well as his or her own personal image, there should be some guidance from coaches and administration to help define what is appropriate to post on social media and make aware the consequences of what they do share about themselves online. The initial scene described above is not completely outlandish. In fact, it is quite realistic and has been encountered by collegiate and professional athletes alike since the boom of social

Sampson 3 media; an article posted on ESPN.com describes issues just in the past few years of this kind of category, including, Bill Self had to break up a Twitter fight between former Kansas star Tyshawn Taylor and critical fans in January [of 2012]. In November [of 2011], former UConn forward Alex Oriakhi referred to his benching as bs [sic] and drew the negative headlines that petrify school officials, some of whom have banned social media use within their respective programs (Medcalf). These athletes are still young adults and thus can have young adult tendencies, like tweeting without keeping their emotions in check. But what they dont realize is that they arent just sharing their thoughts with friends and family members, but thousands- or millions- of other members of the Twitter world. Social media is an entertaining outlet and source of communication, and it is certainly a testimony to the advancements in computer intelligence, providing people a method to connect with those around them and gain more awareness of current events. However, many people treat social media sites, like Twitter and Facebook, as a diary, spilling out any thought that comes to mind and potentially offending people with their unfiltered ideas. As Americans, we are granted First Amendment rights and have the capacity to say (almost) whatever we want, and judgment only falls upon the context of the speech- when and where the speech is said, if it can cause immediate threatening action, etc. (Brandenburg v. Ohio). However, for collegiate athletes, a different policy can apply because of the responsibility required under NCAA rules. The problem of student-athletes posts on social media stems from the fact that there isnt a set of principles issued by a governing body, such as the NCAA or an Olympic committee, that can be used in defining expectations and determining what is appropriate to post and what is not. How are young adults supposed to read the minds of administrators and coaches and understand what crosses the line and brings down the reputation of the team as a whole, when

Sampson 4 content that is deemed acceptable to twenty-somethings is received in a completely different manner by an established head of a team or institution? Usually student-athletes who unknowingly post material deemed negative for their teams image unintentionally lead universities to believe that, social media can become a huge embarrassment for their schools (Santovec). Press has always required an editor, to ensure that the content of the material that will be published is tasteful, grammatically correct, and overall additive to the newspaper, website or other medium being used, utilizing an edit, then post approach. The accessibility of social media undermines this process, and subsequently the younger generations have become accustomed to a post, then edit oriented society, allowing for emotions to seep through a hastily written and thus grammatically incorrect tweet or a distasteful picture posted on Facebook, later to be taken down because the person tagged in the picture realizes its reputationdamaging factors. While this type of shoot first, aim later mentality may suit the needs of many young adults personal social media presence, that mindset can have a completely different impact when the same person represents a team or academic institution. The most recent Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, provided an example of limitations of the usage of social media on young and prominent competitors. Australian athletes were, barred from using social media at training, competition and while traveling between the athletes village and competition venues, a rule determined by the Australian Olympic Committee, or AOC (Zaccardi). The rule was partially formed in response to the London games, where the Australian swim team performed below par and male members bullied other teammates. According to Zaccardis article, many of the athletes were extremely displeased and were sure to tweet about the new rule- before the games began, of course. Its ironic that the athletes would tweet about not being able to tweet, but the AOC had the right idea in mind; they

Sampson 5 recognized that, athletes in London got distracted by social media, which impacted performances. Even more impactful than a poor performance was the fact that the team was pilloried for their conduct at the London games, which definitely has potential to damage a teams image. While the earlier discussion has focused primarily on team conduct by male athletes, its also important to review the effects of female athletes posting material to their personal social media profiles. This issue is often difficult and controversial to discuss, but it is still an issue that is extremely relevant as womens athletics continue to rise in participation and popularity. Advertisements, movies, and other forms of media have influenced the way that people perceive one another, especially females, who, because of skewed ads, are too often measured in sexual attractiveness. But marketing and advertising are separate issues unto themselves; instead we should focus on why the perception of female athletes in advertising media correlates with student-athletes posting material on social media. One can argue that female athletes social media presence, not just advertising and media presence, emphasizes the already skewed sexualization of female athletes, rather than their personal or team accomplishments. Early female participation in the world of sports was not even remotely close to the level that it is in modern athletics. Women were restricted to their matronly duties until the Victorian era; the specialization of jobs allowed for more productivity, which led to more time for leisure and entertainment (Hargreaves 55). Women began to play croquet and tennis- while continuing to wear corsets, naturally, to maintain the image of femininity and poise. Later, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, exercise was deemed damaging to a womans health (Hargreaves 57). The 1920 Olympic games were the first in which women were allowed to compete, and coverage of female athletes was sparse. The few instances that they were covered,

Sampson 6 the media focused on the heterosexiness of the athletes more so than their performances, meaning that the athletes were primarily, portrayed as attractive, erotic women (Cooky 98). This was the beginning of the sexualization of female athletes, the focus on their sexual prowess rather than their talents and hard work. The progress of female participation in athletics since the 1920 Olympics is truly impressive. Not surprisingly, athletes are proud of the hard work that has built their bodies. Many see nothing wrong with sharing the results of that work with others, especially loved ones, with or without clothes (Santovec). Many young, healthy athletes dont hesitate to share their muscular bodies with the world on social media sites such as Instagram. However, all members of social media sites have access to these pictures and have the ability to form opinions about that athletes team or school based on the player himself or herself. Michael Messner, author of the essay Sports and Male Domination, explains that when females attempt to maintain the cultural conception of female beauty, in this case via social media posts, there is a conflict with the perception of their athletic skill. By posing provocatively in a picture, a female athletes legitimacy and equality with men in athleticism is called into question (Messner 39). This doubt is voiced in media coverage of female sports; an example of this is found in an analysis of magazine articles about young professional female tennis players, which included, a great deal of attention devoted to off-court aspects of the players lives, (Bissell 174). These women were being evaluated on their love lives, familial instabilities, and physical appearances as much as, if not more than, their performance in matches. In Bissells essay she mentions that past research suggests, Emphasis on physical appearance and physical beauty is one way to undermine or detract from emphasis on athletic accomplishment. Male athletes physical appearances and off-court lives are presented as achievements, rather than the focus of their

Sampson 7 media representation. This phenomenon is not as common for female athletes, who are objectified in the media in accordance with more submissive cultural norms. The rhetorical tools used in media, such as a cameras angle, panning and zooming, create a lens in which people view female athletes as they perform. In her essay Television and Aerobic Sport: Empowerment and Patriarchy in Denise Austins Daily Workouts, Camacho explains popular aerobics workout videos featuring Denise Austin and their implications. The videos are often taped in such a way that delegitimizes female exercise and athleticism. One of the elements of these videos is the filming technique used: Close-ups, and editing techniques can make an aerobic video seem as if it is intended only for watching women engaging in aerobic exercise rather than participating in the exercise (Camacho 148). The rhetoric quality of Austins position and attire also shapes a viewers perception of this female exercising- that she is a sexual object and heightening her sex appeal. While this video does not include any collegiate or professional athletes, it provides a valid point- how a medium displays these females molds what viewers perceive of them. This relates to social media because these women can choose what they reveal about themselves and how they do so, such as posting a picture of themselves posed provocatively on Instagram. This activity reinforces the lens in which the public views the athletes, and emphasizes the focus on how sexy the woman is, leading to misjudgment of the athletes and perception that the team on the whole isnt concentrated on competing. Fortunately, sports media is steering away from sexualizing female athletes and increasingly focusing on athletic achievement. The media is becoming more objective and covering athletic accomplishments, rather than trivializing their performances and highlighting a womans attractiveness (Messner 42). This trend is present in ESPN magazines The Body

Sampson 8 Issue, a photo gallery that features professional and/or Olympic athletes posed nude, covertly hiding their sex organs. Included in this gallery are a variety of males and females, such as Apolo Ohno, Hope Solo, Blake Griffin, and Natasha Hastings. Each picture is accompanied by a caption consisting of the featured athlete explaining their appreciation for their body and the work required in order to maintain their skills and physical and mental health (ESPN). The 2013 Body Issue also featured 77-year old golf legend Gary Player clearly a testament to the fact that they were celebrating the athlete, not the body. This photo gallery has such a positive impact because it stresses the acceptance of the human bodys many forms and abilities, and focuses on what the bodies can accomplish rather than how the bodies are attractive. Just as this photo gallery emphasizes the athleticism and achievements of these athletes, so too should the athletes present themselves as accomplished and professional via social media. There are possible solutions to the issue of negative effects from young athletes posts on social media. Some schools have already resorted to companies that monitor what you post. One of these companies is Varsity Monitor, which offers schools a computer application that allows them to filter and identify problematic social media activity. This monitoring technology has become increasingly popular with the recent boom in social media use (Medcalf). Yet another monitoring service, UDiligence, provides alert emails when it discovers a post that could cause potential damage. The CEO of this service states that many universities seek this kind of monitoring in order to, protect their brands and help athletes avoid the mistakes that can haunt them even after they leave school (Medcalf). The problem with this is that there will inevitably be conflict with First Amendment rights, because the process of protecting speech has ensured that speech is not licensed before it is published, or in this case posted, but rather that it is free to be posted and later removed or prohibited (Milton). However, I think this tricky issue

Sampson 9 should be up to the coaches and athletic administrators of the teams. Overall, it would be best if players had training about what is appropriate to post online in order to prevent embarrassment of the team, school, or self. A second simple and optimal solution would be to educate these young athletes so that they can be more aware of the effects of their posts. Collegiate athletes are young adults who could have tendencies toward bad judgment skills, and with the high accessibility of smartphones they run the risk of posting regrettable material (Medcalf). However, interactive instructional guidance can go a long way in preventing embarrassment, because expecting student athletes to interpret terms such as inappropriate in the same fashion as administrators is nave and shortsighted (Santovec). The lines are very blurred as far as what is okay to post, and informational sessions would help clarify this issue. Many administration officials may not be immediately tuned into the need for this type of guidance, because they simply arent part of the new online, instant gratification culture that defines the twenty-first century. Since most coaches and administrators did not grow up in the era of social media, or choose not to participate in it, they may not be aware of the consequences if social media presence isnt actively managed and collegiate and professional athletes arent made aware of the expectations placed on them by the organization they represent. Athletes also have the option of making their social media accounts private, which could lower the risk of causing negative effects. The athletes can focus on being proud of the media attention they receive for their skills and hard work, not for their indiscretion and hot-headedness. The ultimate goal is for young adults to learn how to handle the modern evolution to online-oriented public communication. It is up to the coaches, advisors and administrators of these young athletes to

Sampson 10 provide clear guidance, expectations and role models to help them succeed in this world of increasing social media pressures.

Sampson 11 Works Cited "The Body Issue- Photo Gallery." ESPN. N.p., 13 Mar. 2012. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. Bissell, Kimberly L. "Game Face: Sports Reporters' Use of Sexualized Language in Coverage of Women's Professional Tennis." Sport, Rhetoric, and Gender: Historical Perspectives and Media Representations. Ed. Lina K. Fuller. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006. 17184. Print. Cooky, Cheryl. "Strong Enough to Be a Man, but Made a Woman: Discourses on Sport and Femininity in "Sports Illustrated for Women"" Sport, Rhetoric, and Gender: Historical Perspectives and Media Representations. Ed. Linda K. Fuller. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006. 97-106. Print. Camacho, Melissa. "Television and Aerobic Sport: Empowerment and Patriarchy in Denise Austin's Daily Workouts" Sport, Rhetoric, and Gender: Historical Perspectives and Media Representations. Ed. Linda K. Fuller. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006. 14557. Print. Hargreaves, Jennifer. "The Victorian Cult of the Family and the Early Years of Female Sport." Gender and Sport: A Reader. Ed. Sheila Scraton and Anne Flintoff. London: Routledge, 2002. 53-57. Print. Medcalf, Myron. "Policing the Social Media craze." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 01 May 2012. Web. 20 Mar. 2014. Messner, Michael A. "Sports and Male Domination: The Female Athlete as Contested Ideological Terrain." Out of Play: Critical Essays on Gender and Sport. Albany: State University of New York, 2007. 31-44. Print. Milton, John. Areopagitica. Ed. J. W. Hales. Oxford: Clarendon, 1898. Print.

Sampson 12 Santovec, Mary Lou. (2013, December). Social Media and Student Athletes: Legal Issues are Quirky. Women in Higher Education, 22(12), 25-26. Zaccardi, Nick. "Australian Athletes Partially Banned from Social Media at Sochi Olympics." Web log post. NBC OlympicTalk. NBC Sports, 3 Jan. 2014. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.