Social media can be both a blessing or a burden, depending on how you use it. Social media has infiltrated almost every area of our life. It may provide us with the latest affairs, sports news, details about the most famous people, and even advice on how to conduct our lives. It responds to our questions as rapidly as our fingers can swipe, and our eyesight can search. Is it a good thing to have an unlimited supply of knowledge (both genuine and misleading) at our disposal?
In today’s world, most youngsters (and so many grownups) cannot spend a day without utilising some social media. The emergence of social media has a lot of advantages. Nonetheless, because social media has penetrated so deeply into our daily lives, there are negative consequences and those trying to exploit it for making some fast cash.
What impact does our continual excessive use of social media have on us?
This article will look at the benefits and drawbacks of social media from the viewpoint of actual athletes in their early to mid-twenties to determine if it has made life simpler or put additional strain on young athletes.
The Positive and Favourable Effects of Social Media
- Even though many people feel otherwise, the development of social media has certain advantages. It’s a goldmine of free knowledge for athletes wanting to better themselves physically and psychologically. They may watch what the top athletes in their sport are doing on a real-time basis and get inspiration to achieve the same level of success.
| “Watching athletes excel in their sports on social media encourages me to keep performing and improving in my sport,” said a 20-year-old KSP trainee who plays collegiate soccer. |
- Distractions like social media can help keep young athletes (and their parents) away from the actual world and sports, which can be hectic due to their involvement in several activities.
- This research found that many athletes utilised social media to decompress and relax at the end of their day or in between events when they were not competing. Their favourite non-sports-related content is humour, with the majority of them citing that as their favourite source.
- Furthermore, there is the apparent social connection that social media gives to consumers. With a few stamps of their fingers, they can instantaneously connect with their contemporaries from all across the world or indulge in some fun session of Sports Betting UK.
Thanks to communication via devices and applications, communicating with individuals near to us socially and psychologically has never been more straightforward than it is now. Users may now remark on a thread or send texts instantaneously without engaging in any vocal communication. The pursuit of likes and good feedback can be rewarding, but there are drawbacks to seeking acceptance.
The Negative Effects and Consequences of Social Media
- Unfortunately, depending on your perspective, any of the above benefits might also be viewed as drawbacks. For example, while social media provides a lot of information on various topics, this information may be inaccurate or deceptive.
| Many of the sportsmen polled stated that while social media may be an excellent method to get away from regular life and give comic respite to an overly stressful existence, it can also be used in the wrong manner. |
- It may take time away from the scheduled time to improve their sports skills or studies. It also can utterly dissuade young athletes from doing their schoolwork or having any extracurricular activities at all.
Many spend 6-8 hours a day on their phones, primarily on Tik-Tok and other social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram.
- The false pictures in front of young athletes’ is one of the most significant harmful effects of social media. They are continuously inundated with manipulated photos of celebrities and sports, which instils an unrealistic body image standard and a false perception of what life is like.
- Many social media influencers portray their lives as flawless to their followers, leading many young people to feel that their own lives should be extraordinary. This draws attention to the flaws in their life and physical appearances, which can lead to despair or low self-esteem, which is, in my viewpoint, among the most hazardous elements in an athlete’s career.
Why not give up social media if it may have a detrimental impact on an athlete’s life?
This question was posed to a number of athletes. Surprisingly, the most prevalent reply was that they couldn’t stop doing it. When pressed further on the subject, athletes expressed a desire to be socially excluded if they were to cease. Social media has become so pervasive in today’s world that young athletes fear losing touch with their pals if they don’t use it.
There is no escaping social media these days, no matter your age or level of commitment. As a result, most people can’t go a day without being exposed to some form of social media. Athletes in their formative years are particularly vulnerable to the effects of social media since they are among the first in their age to have grown up with it as part of daily life. As a result, the events on social media govern a large portion of their life.
Key takeaways
The most important thing that one can take up from this is that professional athletes should keep their social media usage to a minimum. I say this because it will be simple for them to take it to heart or feel worried if they see even a single mention of it. As a result of the stress, poor performance or a succession of poor performances may occur.
Social media may be compared to a drug in that many people believe they will be unable to stop using once they get started.
While social media may be a beneficial tool for development and diversion, it also can be a weapon of mental and athletic devastation in similar ways. Often, it’s difficult to tell where one thing ends, and another begins.