Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the causes, examples, and impacts of sports-related social media abuse. Sports is such a prominent industry with far-reaching impacts on society. Social media, likewise, is continuing to grow into the biggest stakeholder in modern society. The two elements combine to create a compelling issue.
Introduction
The concept and structure of social media have allowed people to cause harm with little restriction or consequence. The internet allows the instant spreading of hate speech and easy communication between groups who wish to spread hateful messages (Kilvington & Price, 2019). Limited restrictions and accountability contribute to harmful comments. Suler (2004) claims people “loosen up, feel less restrained, and express themselves more openly” (p. 321) when using social media. Matamoros-Fernandez & Farkas argue social media platforms do not provide enough moderation and allow anonymity to those making harmful comments. They also make note of the controversial suggestion these platforms are reluctant to act against ‘humorous’ racist posts because they trigger engagement (Matamoros-Fernandez & Farkas, 2021). Matamoros-Fernandez & Farkas (2021) say through numerous tactics such as memes, fake identities, harassment, and organised subcultures, hate speech is allowed to thrive on social media. They also suggest platforms subtly provide discriminatory messages via filters, moderation, and exclusion features (Matamoros-Fernandez & Farkas, 2021). It is clear to see how these features, as well as crude comments by users, may indoctrinate the younger generations of social media users into holding discriminatory views.
Racism
Athletes are often the victims of racial abuse on social media. Racism in football has been a prevalent issue for a long time, as have initiatives to mitigate it with organisations such as Kick it Out established in 1993 (Kilvington & Price, 2019). The rise of the online space has created new causes for concern. The study by Kearns et al. (2022) found racism to be the most common expression of hate speech among the online sports community. Cleland (2014) suggests social media platforms allow “racist thoughts to flourish online, in particular by rejecting multiculturalism.” (p. 415) He says more traditional forms of sporting racism in the form of chanting within stadiums have subsided, yet social media has allowed for the anonymous sharing of racist thoughts towards players (Cleland, 2014). Kilvington & Price (2019) agree, suggesting while progress is being to eradicate racism within stadiums, racism on social media towards players, clubs and other fans is becoming more prevalent. They argue the anonymity and perceived invisibility of commenting on abuse behind a screen has led to online racism becoming the ‘frontstage’ form of racial vilification (Kilvington & Price, 2019). A survey of 2500 football fans found 80% believe social media allows racist views to be voiced in ways that weren’t possible just a couple of decades ago (Cleland, 2014).
Sports-related racism on social media has been occurring for some time. A study by the anti-racism organisation Kick it Out during the 2014/2015 English Premier League season found 135,000 racially discriminatory posts relating to the competition (Bennett & Jonsson, 2017). This included 39,000 posts directly targeted at players (Bennett & Jonsson, 2017). While this is a specific example, Kilvington and Price (2019) emphasise its significance on a broader scale, as social media racism in the sports-related community is a worldwide and ongoing issue.
The impacts of sport-related social media racism have been evident in Australia. Racism has been a clear cause of injustice and shaky relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people across the country (Ben et al., 2022). This has transferred to the sporting sphere with many examples of racism within stadiums and online. The Australian Football League’s (AFL) inclusion manager Tanya Hosch says the role of social media in racial abuse towards footballers is concerning, with users willing to share harmful comments both anonymously and with their names attached (ABC, 2021). Most recently, Indigenous AFL player Jamarra Ugle-Hagan was subject to racism both in-person and online in another example of consistent comments towards First Nations players (Turnbull, 2023). In just the last 12 months; Eddie Betts, Paddy Ryder, Liam Ryan, Brad Hill, and Zac Williams are only some of the Indigenous players who have experienced racism on social media (Cloos, 2021).
LBTQ+ issues
Sports have traditionally been a male-oriented industry driven by strong masculine ideologies (Drummond et al., 2021). This has made the sporting community a difficult one for females and people of the LGBTQ+ community to feel accepted within. Drummond et al. (2021) state various studies show “there are still prevalent issues of homophobia, homohysteria, discrimination, abuse, bullying, othering, stigmatizing and silencing against LGBTQ+ players, coaches and the wider LGBTQ+ community in sporting environments” (p.2). Such issues can make these people feel as if their sexualities must be hidden for them to participate in sports (Drummond et al., 2021), which for example may be a contributor to why there are no openly gay players in the AFL.
Social media has further contributed to the harmful causes and impacts of such intolerant attitudes across sporting communities. Social media has allowed for the mobilisation of far-right groups to protest LGBTQ+ promotion in sports (Kearns et al., 2022). According to research conducted by major global football and basketball organisations, homophobia makes up a significant proportion of online abuse directed at both male and female athletes (Howell, 2022). Across over 1500 posts addressed in the report, statistics revealed, “homophobic abuse was 40% of posts targeted at male footballers, 27% of that sent to female football players, 46% of the abuse aimed at male basketballers and 19% of that posted to female basketball players” (Howell, 2022, para. 2). If combining other discriminatory concepts outlines in this paper, the same study found 85% of abuse toward male footballers was either racist and/or homophobic in nature and 90% of harmful comments toward female footballers involved sexism and/or homophobia (Howell, 2022). The research shows many homophobic posts are directed at athletes who aren’t necessarily openly gay but may have simply expressed support for the LGBTQ+ community or are aggressively questioned over their sexuality due to their personality, clothing, or lifestyle choices (Howell, 2022). The report found these attacks to harmfully impact the mental health, lifestyle and performance of the athletes (Howell, 2022).
Sexism
Male dominance and misogynistic views have likewise led to harmful sexism in the sports community. Women’s sport has often been marginalised and demeaned with limited positive coverage (Pocock & Skey, 2022). Kavanagh et al. (2019) say social media has both empowered and oppressed female athletes. While social media has allowed women to represent themselves in contrast to the male-dominated mainstream sports media, this exposure has posed many risks to sportswomen (Kavanagh et al., 2019). Kavanagh et al. (2019) suggest there is a strong presence of misogyny and gendered violence among the sports community online. Kearns et al. (2022) recognise online sexism toward sportswomen as a major barrier to female participation in sports. The previously mentioned study by major global sporting bodies found 63% of the abusive online comments toward female athletes were sexist in nature (Howell, 2022). Patterns of engagement have provided a dilemma for female athletes, as Pocock & Skey (2022) reveal sexually suggestive posts by sportswomen tend to receive the most likes and comments. Athletes may then feel pressured to post photos of this nature to boost their status and gain economic benefit in an unequally funded industry (Pocock & Skey, 2022). The dynamics of social media’s impact on sportswomen can become an unwinnable situation for the athlete. Limited activity and presence online can deteriorate their brand deals and fanbase, however, the pressure to be prominent on social media can be detrimental to on-field training and performance (Pocock & Skey, 2022).
Similarly, to other forms of discrimination mentioned, the somewhat unrestricted and anonymous nature of social media has made it easier for sexist comments to be made and new forms of misogyny to be established (Kavanagh et al., 2019). Commentary regarding women’s sports on social media often seeks to sexualise the athletes, or insult and discredit their on-field performances (Kavanagh et al., 2019). Jane (2014) says the language used against these women is often sexually explicit and includes unwanted sexual or violent advances. As mentioned, posting suggestive photos may boost funding opportunities but in turn can lead to sexualisation and objectification (Pocock & Skey, 2022). Pocock & Skey (2022) argue the motivation behind these comments is essentially to belittle successful sportswomen and regulate women in what is a traditionally male-dominant community. Ultimately, social media has become violent, sexual, and harmful to sportswomen.
Kavanagh et al. (2019) reference particular instances of sportswomen and figures experiencing significant harm as a result of social media abuse. Golfer and commentator Paige Spiranac broke down during a live interview in 2016 after experiencing patterns of abuse on social media and revealed she considered taking her own life while suffering from depression (Kavanagh et al., 2019). Tennis player Heather Watson revealed she received death threats towards herself and her family, which impacted her life on and off the court (Kavanagh et al., 2019). These issues have been so prevalent that in 2016 the #MoreThanMean campaign was established to raise awareness regarding online harassment towards women in sporting roles and sports journalism (Antunovic, 2018).
Conclusion
Social media has evidently caused significant harm to the sporting community due to abusive posts and comments which often contain discrimination against uncontrollable features such as race, gender, and sexual orientation. Social media and online spaces are becoming more prominent as the major communicative areas of society, so it is only natural that a community as vast as sports has been heavily impacted. While social media has provided positives for the sports industry, this paper provided considerable evidence to suggest the largely anonymous capabilities to spread hate and abuse have been detrimental to athletes, stakeholders, and fellow fans. The essay came to such a conclusion after a systematic approach to detail the causes, examples, and impacts online abuse has on marginalised groups.
References
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Hi L, The thing is the paper is mainly concentrated on the African continent particularly.If you make an analysis of…