Current events
Current Event I.
College Athletes Suspended Over Alleged Animal Cruelty
The way an athlete uses social media can have career ramifications. One should adhere to go netiquette guidelines and operate in awareness that digital footprint is hard to erase. It can have a positive and negative impact on athletes, for instance the case of two college footballers in Tennessee. Two football players from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) players', Justin Alvarez and Shalom Alvarez, uninformed social medial uses has resulted in suspension from team involvement and Criminal Investigations. The two uploaded a video on Snapchat in which Alvarez hits a puppy four times, and the puppy yelps in pain. The video also contains derogatory comments regarding payment of rent. This action has led the Athletics Director in the school, Chris Massaro to come up with an initiative to educate athletes on the dangers of using social media. It is important for people to realize that social media can have good or bad results, it is a double-edged sword. Indulging in prohibited behaviour is bad enough, posting about it is calling the authorities to your case. Lack of literacy on what to post and what not to post has landed many sportsmen into trouble , let alone losing the support of their fans. Sportsmen are supposed to use the social media to create a positive reputation, however lack of knowledge on how to use social sites can lead to underutilization, overutilization or an abuse of it.
Sports bodies are monitoring the behavior of their sportsmen on social media. Most of college sports clubs use one's social media footprint to determine selection during recruiting. If they find information that can be damning or embarrassing in future, it is likely that they will not select an athlete. Other sports bodies prohibit use of social media in specific times like when a game is ongoing. Athletes need to what to post, respond to, and like in social media sites.
Current Event II.
Ronaldo's Social Media Earns Nike $500 a Year
The use of social media is rewarding for athletes who have known to leverage it. Technology and new media add many possibilities in communication and business. The athletes who are informed about its usage, do not earn whooping amounts of money, but they can also connect with their fans and open up a world of business possibilities. Such use of social media means one post strategically in order to appeal to their target audiences. For instance in Ronaldo's case, he reaches 262 million people through his social sites. He has millions of followers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Companies use Athletes to market their product, some even run athletes social media accounts; asAdidas run Messi's Twitter account. Such rewarding social media use adheres to the rules, observes netiquette and know the digital footprint they want to leave.
In order to make social media rewarding for athletes, they have to know how to balance professional and personal lives. An athlete should be careful on what, how, and where to post and contribute to social media. Also, it is important to avoid wars and controversial opinions on social media. Since most athletes work in teams, it is important to respect other people's privacy. Do not post about other people, or share photos, names and contact information about others.
Just as Ronaldo's social media success, any athlete who learns how to leverage social media for branding is in for huge returns. Working with social media pros will help you to navigate. Ronaldo has about six people working on his social media presence. Ronaldo is not making all these money because of his football prowess alone, his literacy on social media and the ability to use it to his advantage, has worked for him.