Abstract:

The following paper explores the relationship athletes have with social media in regards to their stances on social issues. The paper argues that athletes are now unable to express thoughts and opinions on society without facing toxic backlash through online networks. The arguments and points raised provide an insight into the relationship online networks have with social change, whether it be positive or the inverse. Case studies regarding high profile athletes such as Colin Kapernick, Lebron James and Megan Rapinoe are incorporated to provide context of the impact online networks have on athletes taking a stance on social issues. The issues raised include, racial equality, gender equality and police brutality. It is proposed that online networks have shifted from places of freedom, expression and joy to an environment of judgement, hatred and toxicity. Overall the paper takes the position that while athletes have always faced backlash regarding their positions on social issues, they are now subject to a dangerous amount of hate that is forever stained in a public library for the world to see.

“Professional athletes are incapable of taking a stance on social issues without facing severe online backlash through online networks”

Online networks consist of platforms where users can gather together to create content, engage with one another and make comments on the world as they see it around them. These platforms have their own communities that are constantly changing to meld with in-person connectivity (Hampton and Wellman, 2018). Traditionally the word community provokes ideas such as inclusiveness, acceptance and support. Online networks have drastically increased the speed that content spreads and the reach of the audience it spreads to, all while serving as a public library for content to remain forever.  In a recent survey of Australian internet users, it has been highlighted that 75% of Australian social media users have experienced at least one hateful interaction online, over a 12-month period (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2022). This demonstrates the growing hateful content present on social media and the real life affect it has on users. The number of comments spread through online networks regarding celebrities, athletes and influencers is extraordinary and even more extraordinary is the hate directed at these people. Athletes now live in a world that recognizes them as things and not the people they actually are. Lebron James, Meghan Rapinoe and Colin Kaepernick are all examples of athletes who have taken a stance on social issues such as race and equality and have subsequently received online backlash through platforms such as, Twitter, Facebook and other digital media channels. These athletes infamously shine a light on the online hate that accompanies any stance they or any other athlete attempts to make on social issues. One of the most frightening features of societies online networks today is, its ability to trickle into users’ real life. High profile athlete Colin Kaepernick lost not only his brand deals for his stance on equality but ultimately, he lost his career too. The idea of freedom  provided by the cyberspace famously described by John Perry Barlow, no longer exists (Barlow, 1996). Online networks are platforms to beat down, not build up and the liberties of athletes to promote positive social change have been taken away from them.

Colin Kaepernick was a two-time WAC offensive player of the year, the 36^th pick in the NFL draft and one of the best quarterbacks in the league during his short career. In the 2016 NFL season Kaepernick took a stance against racial injustice and police brutality by kneeling during the American national anthem. Within minutes the action had caused a stir on social media platforms. The Los Angeles Times posted an article about the action on Twitter which was met with thousands of comments such as, “Find another country that will take you” (Vojtko, 2016). Kaepernick emulated the actions of black athletes that came before him such as Muhammad Ali who refused to fight in Vietnam in 1967 (Zirin, 2011) and John Carlos and Tommie Smith who raised their fists as a symbol to Black Power at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico (Burke, 2023). Ali was stripped of his Heavyweight title and banned from boxing from 1967 to 1970. Carlos and Smith were expelled from the Olympics 48 hours after receiving their medals on stage in front of millions watching from home. The key difference between Kaepernick’s situation and that of those before him, is that Kaepernick’s action is plastered over the internet and social media for everyone to see and comment on, forever. No one has to search Colin Kaepernick’s name to find out about his action because they have already been exposed to the content through one digital media stream or another. Following the incident in 2016 Kaepernick was tagged in over 16,825 social media posts per day between August 26^th and September 8^th (Rovell, 2016). This highlights that wide range that online networks have and the speed in which content is able to be shared. It would be wrong to take the view that athletes are only now facing scrutiny for their stances  on social issues as a direct result of on online networks, that is not the argument. As we have seen with previous cases public backlash has always occurred however, online networks have made it impossible for that backlash not to occur on a greater scale and has significantly elevated the ability of public backlash and hateful content to spread. The negative comments begin to overshadow the support actions like Kaepernick’s gathers from the wider community. Teammate Eric Reid was the first player that kneeled alongside Kaepernick in an act of support, while high profile athletes such as Lebron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant rallied around in support of Kaepernick after the action in 2016. Jay-Z declined performing at the Super Bowl in response to how the NFL allowed Kaepernick to be treated on digital media and within the organization itself. Nike even featured Kaepernick in their 2018 campaign promoting people to, “Believe in Something. Even if it Means Sacrificing Everything” alluding to everything that was taken away from Kaepernick for courage to take a stance (Bailey-Wells, 2016). The campaign itself makes it clear, online networks have the capacity to create and promote content of value, love and support. The issue is not that online networks cannot create positive content, the issue is that it cannot create a space without hate and division. Even after Nike’s 2018 campaign including Kaepernick, President Trump was one of the first to respond labelling the advertisement as a “Terrible message”, proving once again athletes are unable to take a stance on social issues without facing severe online backlash (Chappell, 2018).

Lebron James is a black man who has consistently voiced his support of the black community in their fight against social injustices. He has raised awareness around police brutality dating back as early as 2014, wearing a shirt reading “I can’t breathe’ in a pre-game warmup for an NBA fixture. The shirt was in reference to Eric Garner who has died at the hands of a white police officer (Feeney, 2014). James has also provided support to those affected by the Flint Water Crisis and provided at risk children with access to education in his hometown of Ohio through his “I PROMISE” school. These actions demonstrate James’ quality of character and desire to contribute positively to the world around him by influencing positive social change (James, 2011) In 2021 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant was fatally killed in a police shooting in the United States of America. This occurred shortly after the conviction of Derek Chauvin, who was a former police officer charged with the murder of George Floyd. Understandably this was a time of significantly heightened tension around police violence against the black community. The Black Lives Matter movement was a strong presence in American culture at the time in response to the events that had occurred. In a series of tweets in response to the incident involving Ma’Khia Bryant, Lebron James called for accountability and raised issues of police violence against the black community in America (Fitz-Gibbon, 2021). These tweets were met with hateful replies, along with a community that believed it was not James’ job to comment on politics. Twitter communities quickly attacked James’ character and US Senator Tom Cotton even accused James of inciting violence (Brown, 2021). Laura Ingraham then went live air on Fox News and told James to simply “Shut up and dribble”. This was clipped and posted to Twitter by Complex Sports where it received over 200 thousand likes, an example of the power possessed by online networks to rapidly, widely and consistently spread hateful content. 24 hours after posting his Tweets demanding accountability, James actually deleted the tweets, claiming that his comments online were in fact, “Being used to create more hate” (Guardian Sport, 2021). Social media has often been compared to Oldenburg’s “Third Place” however, Oldenburg characterized this third place with words such as, joy and relief (Oldenburg, 2001). In the case of Lebron James taking a stance on the social media platform Twitter, it proved to divide, incite hate, cause harm and was far from a platform that incited inclusiveness and enjoyment. The case of Lebron James demonstrates despite the outstanding contributions to society made by some athletes around the world, online networks find a way to attack any stance these people take in attempt to incite hateful content online.

Megan Rapinoe is an athlete that is widely seen by many in the public as a controversial person simply for her consistent stance on social issues. Rapinoe has consistently taken a strong stance on equality whether it be racial, gender-based or simply opportunity based. Rapinoe’s fight for equality has seen her painted as a villain in digital media, rather than a hero. Similar to both Kaepernick and James who had their own incidents that sparked outrage, Rapinoe faced severe online backlash after taking the women’s American team chose to abstain from singing the US national anthem at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup (Mukherjee, 2023). The group decided not to partake in the national anthem as part of a stance on a wide range of social injustices spread across the US. The protest was intended to raise awareness surrounding equality for all however it was almost immediately twisted online to be viewed in other ways. Across the platform X, Rapinoe was described as disgrace, ungrateful and even as a loser. Once again highlighting the inability athletes have to take speak on social issues. Online networks have been categorized as platforms that are user-based, interactive, community-driven, relationship based and produce emotional content (Rogers and Krishnan, 2015). It could be argued that responses to James and Rapinoe demonstrate some of these categories as the responses were interactive, user-generated and has produced emotional content. However, the hateful and disturbing content created and aired throughout online platforms is not mentioned. The abuse which Rapinoe received from simply advocating for equality was profound. Rapinoe, James and Kaepernick are three separate examples of what athletes all over the world now face. They represent the abuse online networks have subjected athletes to.  Naomi Osaka, Lewis Hamilton and thousands of other athletes have faced the same scrutiny  for simply speaking up regarding social issues. These cases represent the harmful side of our modern digital world and the terrifying direction our online networks are heading towards.

The freedoms created by online networks are almost immeasurable. Users have access to information that wasn’t even fathomable decades ago, they have the ability to express themselves, build communities and engage with one another in real time. Online networks allow for social change and can have a real impact. The #MeTooMovement ultimately led to the incarceration of Harvey Weinstein and justice for so many victims. It cannot be denied the freedoms and power online networks provide. It also cannot be denied the freedoms and power these same online networks take away from some. Athletes, celebrities and influencers ultimately are all victim of hate and abuse in their attempts to inflict positive social change. Whether its abusive tweets, derogatory speech on digital media or real-world actions, these individuals are deeply and profoundly affected by online networks in their pursuit of social change. It becomes a question of whether online networks still truly serve as a place for community and relationships or rather a place for user generated harmful content. One thing is crystal clear in the sphere of online networks and that is, we no longer live in a society where athletes can take a stance on significant social issues without facing hate on online networks, that spreads at greater speeds, to greater audiences and with greater harm than ever seen before.

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