Social Media: The Influencer
Challenges facing athletes today are so different than what young athletes of my generation contended with. This new set of challenges are ambiguous in many ways and insidious in others. I grew up in an era of “no pain, no gain”. In fact, I remember my dad “coaching me up” repeatedly when I would whine or complain about sore muscles or being tired from a practice or a workout. Though many have scoffed at that mentality and approach and modern science has demonstrated repeatedly the value of regular rest and recovery, there is a simplicity and a powerful message in this old-school idea, as well. Success in anything is not accomplished by accident. At the highest levels, success only occurs with intention, calculation, measurement, pressure, tracking and adjusting. None of that comes without cost and all of it requires at the very least the price of time. How our time is allocated these days has dramatically shifted as well. According to broadbandsearch.net (2022), people in North America spend an average of about 2hrs and 6 min. daily on social media. That may not sound like much, but in a lifetime, it adds up to 6 years and 8 months, 3rd only to watching tv (8 years and 2 months) and sleeping (26 years and 5 months)! Of those top 3 time-consumers, clearly only one is critical and necessary. The other 2 are actually how we are choosing to spend our time! How might your sport performance change or look different if you spent an extra 20 min a day on mental performance training, recovery work, strength or skill building? That is less than 1% of an entire day.
Athletes today, can also be misled. Social media does a number on the perception of young and old athletes alike. There is this glamorized perspective of posts that communicates snippets of people’s lives, thoughts and emotions. It’s certainly not an accurate view of the ups, the downs and the day-to-day grind. At best, it’s a glimpse into edited moments of highlights and lowlights. Unfortunately, many have come to turn to social media as a metric for their own lives and performances, often subconsciously. Athletes can be particularly vulnerable as the pressures and expectations that arise in sports can be exacerbated on social media platforms: from chasing college scholarships to seeking external approval and recognition. Yet, as we are all aware, social media doesn’t just filter out the positive and encouraging remarks. At times it can be an onslaught of criticism, unfair critiquing and general meanness. Social media can be a dark and lonely pathway to unrealistic expectations, decreased motivation and burn-out. Studies have also indicated that there is a very strong correlation between social media use and depression and anxiety. We teach our athletes to focus on what they can control. Social media use is an element that is 100% in our control but can easily become addictive. And once that happens the power has shifted, and we find ourselves “controlled by” some external driver.
I’m not such a curmudgeon to not recognize there is some value and contribution of social media. However, there is huge potential detriments to its use, especially its excessive use, that I do strongly suggest limiting time spent utilizing, viewing and “liking” on the various platforms. Taking social media breaks and designating time to it, not to be exceeded, is a step toward setting appropriate boundaries and use. Time would be better spent reflecting on personal values, principles and needs. Learning to understand your own purpose and “why”, for whatever it is you pursue is the key to motivation and sustainability. Define your parameters for social media use:
Decide which sites will you interact with and why: for entertainment, education, skill building, inspiration, practical purposes (bill paying, banking), meditation/relaxation, news, etc.
Decide how long will you spend each day and at what time (especially important so that it doesn’t interfere with sleep).
Eliminate any unused apps or those that when you use them, you notice that you can go down a rabbit hole (they are designed that way)
Use a tracker to take an honest view of time spent on your phone, computer and devices and then consider this…
Your opponent will appreciate when you take time off, when you sleep in and when you become consumed with your social media accounts. Decide who is in control of your time. It’s your only non-renewable resource that can be wasted away or maximized toward best performances and achieving your dreams.
Caveats to SOCIAL MEDIA use:
Seeking external approval
Distorted reality
Negative impact on motivation: unreachable standards
Promotes unrealistic standards of body appearance and ability
Can be a positive distraction or reprieve from a demanding schedule, but it can also preoccupy someone and eat away at time better spent engaging with others or growing in personal development, etc.
Deters from getting homework and other responsibilities done
Deters from developing any hobbies.
Depression, decreased self-confidence
Athletes claim to lose their sense of connectedness without social media
Chemical mechanism that is highly addictive
False perspective
